A/n: here's that other ruff I mentioned
Howling Thunder 27: Night Games
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It must have only been a few hours after I fell asleep when I woke up to the sound of my door banging open. Mora actually flaps her wings and hops over to the posts of my bed, twirling around them like she had done with her spear during our duel earlier.
She's barely wearing anything at all, just some silk around the important parts.
“Nox I want to play!”
I toss a pillow at her, “I doubt you really do…”
True enough Ulfa comes in while laughing, the damn bone spear is uncovered in her arms.
“Sorry I was checking something, totally works. Here, just toss this into your cloud. She should be back to normal fairly quick.”
With a toss the spear lands into a bit of fog spilling from under my bed sheets where my tail is. Anyone watching would think it had dropped through a hole in the floor.
Mora's hungry look fades and her face slowly turns red as she crashes to the floor and hides under my bed.
I pull the sheets back over me, “Mora, when you're done hiding my couch is always free. We’ll chat in the morning.”
After a moment I hear her go lay down on the couch, “Apologies Lord Nox, I hadn’t slept alone in a room for many years. I asked Miss Ulfa but…”
Well, I’d have done the same thing as Ulfa…
“You’ll get used to her tricks… It’s in our blood, anyway good night Mora.”
“Good night Lord Nox.”
“Just Nox is fine.”
“Yes Lord Nox.”
....whatever.
Quietly listening to the last embers of the fire crack would normally send me right to sleep, but now I can’t help to toss and turn. Something feels like itching, like I just need to get up and move around. The fact that there’s a gorgeous girl over on the couch starts to scratch at my mind.
On the other hand, I really want to see Asta, I miss her laughter. When I see her I’m going to...
‘Click’
I smell bird… the window just opened.
Fog shifting carefully I leave a figure of my body on the bed and move through my layer of mist on the room floor to Mora’s side.
Along the way I see the figure of someone climbing into the room.
Using the whisper magic mother taught me, “Mora, don’t get up, someone just snuck in, I’ll handle it.”
Ulfa also slightly nods her head be the fire.
A voice, a young girl’s, “This mist feels evil. Father was right, he’s a monster.”
Excuse me?
The dark shrouded figure creeps to the bedside with a small dagger and a coil of rope. I guess she thinks she can capture me?
She makes a dive for the bed.
The fog holding up the sheets puffs out from the bed, “Wait! What?!”
Let’s play a bit little assassin girl.
I let out a menacing cackle, “So little missy, what brings you to my tower tonight?”
The fire place flares up in an eerie blue flame, Ulfa has joined into my fog. From the girls view the room seems empty now. Black clouds swirl about the room as the window slams back shut.
She's wearing an all black outfit but that does nothing to hide the large, brown winged arms, a Turul.
Her voice shakes as she takes a defensive stance near the bed, “Where are you foul beast?! What have you done with Lupy!?”
Lupy? This a friend of Lupa’s? Was the knife really needed...suddenly my motivation has dropped to rock bottom.
Oh well, “I’m right here, as for the Nico girl, I ate her!”
The fog shifts into the form of a massive black wolf slowly stalking up towards her from near the fire.
She steps back against the bed, “You’re Lying!”
“Why don’t you ask her yourself then!” I pounce forward, pinning her to the floor.
Her screams echo through the room as she struggles to escape my shrouded figure.
“Ulfa put her to sleep already.”
“Ah, but I wanted to see you eat her.”
“I don’t like chicken.”
“Really? I think they’re closer to turkey in taste, oh fine.”
The wolf head seems to bite down at her causing a swirl of mist to pass over the girl. Her tearing eyes shut, her body goes limp.
The blue fire goes out, the fog fades from the room, receding back into my tail and Ulfa’s dress.
Mora strikes the original fire back up and then walks over, “Um, is she alright? Oh! Really if she was an assassin shouldn’t you have questioned her along those lines?”
I scratch my head, “I’ll get to that later.”
A knock bangs on the door, “Lord Nox, is everything alright?! There's been assassins in the castle!”
My tongue clicks, “I’m not getting anymore sleep tonight am I?”
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Raising my voice, “I’m fine I’ll be out in a moment.”
Looking back to Mora and Ulfa, “Mora take off your clothes and get on the bed quickly.”
She panics as much as the bird girl, “What?!”
I start tieing up the bird girl with her own rope, “Just hurry, Ulfa help me drag her out of sight.”
Another knock, “My Lord?”
We lift her up, “Just a minute! I’m looking for my pants!”
Mora hides in the sheets, I definitely got a peek. Not a bad night after all.
I take off my shirt and walk to the door, swinging it open.
An Anubi guard leading three others looks in, he spots Mora sitting up on the bed, the sheets held to her chest.
“Ah, my apologies, but your siblings were attacked! Did you see anyone yourself?”
Putting on an angry face, “There was a rather rude person peeking in the window, I sent them on their way with a zap. They had wings so I imagine whoever it was just escaped.”
They relax, one fellow looks from Mora to Ulfa, “Um, you were doing that with your servant in the room?”
No hesitation and the straightest of faces, “She likes to watch.”
Poor fellow seems a bit at a loss.
The leader coughs, “Right, well it’s good that you’re fine. Please hurry to your father’s office, your siblings killed two others.”
Nodding, “Sure, one moment, I’ll grab a shirt.”
I close the door in his face.
Mora mutters, “Um did I really need to be naked?”
To be fair, in her silks she would have looked naked anyway from this angle, “Mora, some things you just can’t half ass.”
Ulfa giggles at her confused look.
Pulling my shirt back on, “Ulfa come with me, Mora, lock the birdy in one of my empty rooms without a window. I assume you’ve got an extra spear for the moment.”
She nods but doesn’t move.
“Well?”
“I...I’ll be getting dressed first if you don’t mind.”
“I do…”
I laugh at her wide eyes that remind me of a small animal as I open the door and walk out with Ulfa.
“I’m joking Mora, take care of it please.”
Looking at the guard, “Lead the way.”
I put my arms behind my head leisurely follow, the cold stone feels nice on my bare feet, “So Aka and Walt killed one each?”
The guard leader shivers, “Yes, Lady Akane turned one into a pile of ash and a scorch mark on her wall. Lord Walther similarly put his to a wall, frozen solid with a large sword in the chest… the wings had shattered away when the fellow was pulled down.”
Just as I thought, not even worth getting worried over.
Guards can be seen scurrying everywhere checking for more intruders. Eventually we reach the hallway of Father’s office.
I can already hear a voice yelling, “Don’t think your relation to the queen offers you any protection Miklos! If you don’t get your tribesmen under control I’ll be the first to hold you responsible.”
Another man’s voice, slightly calmer, “I don’t want to hear that from you Ivan, what were your tower guards doing, sleeping on watch?”
As I step into the doorway I spot General Otso, the bear chieftain growl, “You both seem plenty incompetent to me. Praise the gods we didn’t leave the war effort in your care, neither of you can even stop a bunch of rabble from embarrassing our city in front of so many visitors.”
Lupa’s father laughs, “Whose niece made a sight of herself at dinner the other night?”
Otso growls louder, “Yes, I’m sure you’re awfully proud of your daughter's massive,”
“Good evening.” I stop him there.
Mother speaks from the the side of father’s desk, clearly angry, “Come in darling, these gentlemen were just trying to explain how my pups could come under attack within the most heavily defended castle in the central continent.”
Aka, Walt, Hyndla and Hevel are also in the room, everyone is scattered about while the generals stand at a nearby table that has a map of the castle laid out.
The fenrir looks to me, “I suppose you killed yours as well?”
I shake my head, “The winged lady caught me with my pants down so I kindly showed her the way back out the window.”
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A/n: woke up early today to get this knocked out, actually got half the next chap done too so i'll put that up wednesday night probably along with that side story chap i have outlined. Also wanted to try something along the lines of a semi reader interactive story. dropping Nox into an endless series of randomly generated 5e D&D dungeons, i'll even have him use the lvl system and figure out his class lol. Endless Animus! Ps The terra realm has enough world built to totally use as a d&d campaign.