Chapter 5

The Hunters Cloak

The forest is a cruel place depending on who you ask. For the average citizen within the city walls, they would claim itis harsh and unforgiving. For the farmer on the fringes, he would claim it has a type of beauty only beaten by the Queen herself. However for some... The forest holds a great treasure few get to enjoy. With free places to sleep and plenty of food. Ebonwood trees provide wonderful shade, and Cinderwood trees can keep a weary traveler warm upon a cold night, but nature does not pity the drunk. Shifting in his sleep while still in his bed which is nothing other than his cloak and a Cinderwood branch roughly seven feet off the ground, Lupo Acheron tilted his head, obviously enjoying whatever his drunken stupor has him dreaming of. His body works against him however as he leans to far and goes plummeting into the ground landing belly first onto the twisting roots and packed soil of the forest floor below him. His fall wakes him with a start as he instantly goes looking for his cloak. Like an Alveus with its shell, Lupo was never seen without his cloak. Lupo watches as his cloak is caught by the wind and begins dancing through the branches over head. It was going to be a long morning, and an even longer day. Peeling himself off the ground Lupo begins to weave through the forest constantly changing where he s looking, upwards to keep the cloak in sight and downuiards to keep the gnarled roots in mind as he traverses the land. He leaps and climbs using the branches to his advantage as he tracks the cloak. Normally a traveler would loose their shaw or cloak and carry on, not truly minding i. To Lupo, the cloak was special. A type of black fur rested on the shoulders to provide warmth while the fabric itself was the softest thing he had ever felt. Lamian silk felt coarse compared to it, and even Merfolk leathers used for diving felt like sanding paper. He held only one thing closer to his heart than that cloak. A simple unpolished silver ring he kept on a study chain around his neck and under his clothes. It was always on his person, even when bathing. Lupo could not remember where he found the ring exactly or its original meaning, but simply touching the ring filled him with a sensation. A driving feeling to keep pressing on no matter what the situation held.

Lupo heard the sound of running water. Which was odd, there was no way he had crossed the distance to the hot springs this quickly. He made an abrupt stop as he saw his cloak snag on an over head branch. His eyes narrowed as he examined his area. Nothing was ever as easy as it seemed. He found the source of the. water, Weepingwoods up the hill from him had begun to bloom. With a tsk Lupo looked at the small stream in front of him. He would rather not get wet if he could help it. He look a few steps backwards gauging the distance he had to leap to get over the stream. After feeling ike he had enough space Lupo look off running, attempting a leap that would be stopped in his tracks. As he went to leave the ground a vine in the undergrowth of the forest had snagged his foot causing lupo to fall chest first into the steam with all the force he planned to use to go upwards. He hit with a resounding Smack! Covering him in not only water but mud as well. Lupo though to himself as he sat up on his knees in the stream. “At least it cannot get any worse right?" Almost on cue with that thought, he heard a small ripping noise as his cloak was freed from the branches over head, it began its graceful yet taunting dance through the trees once more. Lupo scrambled as he saw the cloak move heading after it with reckless abandon. Using the gnarly roots as hand holds he pulled himself from the river and didn't bother drying off, he would dry as he ran. He knew the direction the wind was carrying his cloak would lead to. The Hot Spring. After a few feet from the river he noticed the sudden bringing of mosses and other soft greens. He had to be careful while traversing this area, some mosses were harmless, while others held sinister secrets. He noticed on the Ebonwood's that there were patches of Thorn pillow, A type of satin like moss that hid vicious barbed seeds. The kind you spend hours picking out of your clothes only to realize you missed one in a delicate area. Lupo hit at Hill and saw his paths downwards, The Cloak still drifting lazily through the canopy over him. The options presented were, slide down the root in front of him, or brave the spaces between the roots, where things like Chasm Crawlers and Nightmare Chitterers dwelled. Lupo did not like insects or bugs on the best of days. With his mind preemptively made up Lupo took to the root in a back slide, going down it quickly, until he noticed the lower half of the root and his landing covered in Thorn pillows. Thinking quicker than he was moving Lupo lept from the root and caught a low hanging branch to which he swung over the almost literal trap and landed safely. With a smug smirk, like he had bested natures attempts to stop him Lupo began walking forward with a brisk pace, his eyes still locked on the Torn pillow pit behind him. Due to his attention being elsewhere Lupo's course caused him to slam full force into a tree, jarring him. He stopped and looked to the massive and ancient Ebonwood that towered over him. He shook his hands and stared at It gesturing as If to say "Why? Why are you just standing here?”

Moving past his most recent road block lupo continued on after the Cloak heading deeper into the more Wet part of the forest. It was by no means a marsh. However the closer he got to the Hot springs the more Weeping woods and over grown everything seemed to be. Having lost sight of his cloak lupo moved slowly hoping to catch some glimpse of it inthe air above him. He saw it afew yards ahead, if he wasn't as hungover or drunk as he currently was, Lupo would know better, but from where he stood it looked as if his cloak was laughing at him. With his target back insight, Lupo pressed on being sure to keep overly aware of his surroundings. And He did. He would vault a root and dodge a crevasse that led into the under growth only to begin siding down a root he had not planned on moving down. To counter this he would jump again and catch a vine or low hanging limb and use it as a catalyst to redirect himself on the correct path. He would avoid streams caused by clustering Weepingwoods and narrowly miss catching a torso or palm full of thorns from a Thorn pillow patch which were aptly called "Beggars Mattresses" He crossed the forest like a native of it, considering his ob. He might as well be one. When not drowning himself at the tavern or sleeping off the previous night, Lupo was an adept hunter and skilled trapper. For a human who competed with other beings like Lupines or Felines, this was saying something due to their heightened senses and naturally stronger physiques. Unknown to the hunter, Lupo was going up. Reaching a higher point in the undergrowth, where roots had climbed the trees and caused a sort of net made of hardened roots to form. Plants and Soil still rested here and even grew well off of the natural ground. For lupo this was good as, while he climbed up the now overgrowth. He was getting closer to his cloak. Mere feet away the cloak broke a tree line and snagged on a bare branch again, Lupo seeing his chance dove out for the cloth not paying full attention again. He dove right off the edge of an overgrown clifside which overlooked the hot springs. His cloak in his arms Lupo became vibrantly aware of his situation and tried his hardest to orient himself so that he would minimalize the amount of damage he would receive. His dive was a forward one meaning he had planned a roll if he was on solid ground. Using the momentum from that he continued his flip and oriented himself so that his legs where pointing downwards. With his arms crossed over his chest in an “X” shape and the cloak safely pressed under his crossed arms Lupo took a deep breath as he hit the water. The sudden rush of breaking the surface was taken away as its warm waters washed over him. He opened his eyes once he stopped moving and saw beautiful system of smooth caves under himself. He had heard stories telling how if you could swim down through the caves you could find a gorgeous treasure deep within them. No one who tried was ever found. His need for air over powered his amazement at the natural beauty under the waves. He quickly swarm to the surface and over to the edge of the springs. He fist slapped his cloak onto the rock he chose as his resting place. Then lifted himself and simply flopped onto his back panting hard. The sun bathed down on the stane heating it nicely and helped to dry him but with a his layers of clothing, it would be difficult and a long process if he didn't take a few of them off. That was an issue for a future time. For now Lupo rested within the warmth and just breathed. It was a long morning and by the suns positioning he guessed it was somewhere around noon. Lupo played with the idea of a nap here. It was comfortable for a stone bed, and warm like he liked it. But it wasn't his doing that denied him from his nap. Behind him in the woods, Lupo heard the sound of a heavy branch break. Something had followed him through his trek to retrieve his cloak and now it decided to show its face. It was going to be a long day.

They say that how you handle the silence before a battle shows if you are ready for the fight ahead of yourself. Lupo was unmoving and silent. He listened and knew exactly what each sound he heard was. The subtle crinkling of leaves as his unwanted follower moved just behind the tree line. The sharp snap of branches being broken with no pattern making it seem like there was more than one, but he knew better. This area was home to one predator. An Umbra Fur. A beast who despite its size was lethal even as a newborn. Lupo waited and heard the sound he was waiting on. A large breath from the beast followed by what he could only associate as a whip cracking. It was this sound that cause him to move. With one fluid motion Lupo rolled grabbing his cloak by the collar and slid off the rock. In his motion he whipped the cloak up around his neck and put it on before he finally sid behind it. Where he once lay, were large quills, now rested, embedded in the stone by a barb at the tip. He scoffed. “Ambush predators. Where is your class?” His thought was met with another hail of quills going into the water. It wasn't their shape, or even the fact that they were incredibly sharp that made them such a hassle to deal with. It was their weight. Each quill was a thick shard of bane with fur like fringe that allowed an Umbra Furi to throw them long distances akin to a human with throwing darts. He had to think of something at a range like this, he had no way of getting close enough to use his weapons, Two small daggers hidden under his cloak against hs viaist. He needed a distraction, And that was exactly what he found when he looked down. A small pile of stacked rocks. A large grin extended over his face as he knew what it was. It was a gribbie nest. Most likely one built to hide from larger predators while they bathed and courted at the hot springs. Lupo pulled the top rock off and looked over his cover a litle, spotting a deeper section of the springs not to far from himself. With a decent underhanded throw, He lobbed the rock into the water and was surprised to find that the spot he picked was in fact a deep one. The sound of the splash made the Umbra Furi leap from the trees and land in the clearing. Lupo felt a sense of enjoyment rise in his chest as he saw a defining feature on the Umbra Furi, A large scar that ran down its face to its neck, Aptly named by the wild hunters as "scar." Lupo knew exactly what kind of payday he would have should he be able to bag this fur. Only issue was... Scar was huge compared to the average Umbra Fur. This was going to be a challenge As Scar looked in the direction of the splash, Lupo took off making a wide arc around the edge of the lake and came around in one of Scar's blind spots. Least, that's what he had hoped for. True to the status of "apex predator of the forest" Scar's ears twitched and he reacted by flexing his forearms and spinning in a circle, slamming his tal into lupo, who promptly sailed through the air into a tree. He landed against the trunk with a heavy crack, Lupo hoped it wasn't his bones he heard snap. His eyes lifted off of the ground in time to see Scar leap at him, The boney blades off of his forearms extended. He was going for blood, and Lupo was too. The hunter lifted his arms and pushed himself off of the tree, down the root slope to his feet. The angled surface and smooth bark allowed him to slide down It easily. As he moved Scar had already lept towards him. The large beast dug its blades into the bark of the tree going for a kll. It missed much to the beasts dismay.

While Lupo was siding down the roots, He removed both blades from their resting places and stabbed upwards into Scar's throat, dragging them downwards. He was sure this would kill the beast in a single: strike. He did not know how wrong he was. As he sliced open the neck of Scar, his weight, the creatures reaction and movements caused the daggers to become lodged within the collar bone of the monster. Lupo ended up directly under the rear of Scar who howled in pain and rage as he looked back to the hunter. With a growl that rattled the area and blades in its bones, The beast lifted his tail and began to slammed it into Lupo. The instant pain the hunter felt as he was crushed between the ground below him and what could be considered a living tree trunk slamming into his chest was indescribable. The strike was so strong that Scar lifted his tail almost treating it like a whip. Lupo bounced off of the hard surface below him, the air taken from his lungs by said strike. Time seemed to slow down for him. His body ached, his muscles screamed out in protest. He was in pain, and yet he felt something under the layers of cloth and leather. His hidden locket lifted off his chest then touched it, Ghosting its metallic shape against his skin. He felt is mind clear as he regained his footing on the situation. He was stil lofted mere inches away from the ground. He forced his arms to move and they did. Wrapping around the beasts tai, Lupo took the monsters quills into his hand and jerked two of them free, causing Scar to wail and swing the hunter. Lupo took the momentum of the beast and the Quill to his advantage and let himself sail into the air again. He was no longer the prey, He was again, the Hunter. He had been thrown high, and caught a heavy branch with the quill before moving into a darker part of the tree. He laid against the branches and watched as Scar finally managed to struggle free of the tree. True to the “Furi” part of hs name, he was furious. And began a slow and methodical hunt for Lupo. While in the tree, the hunter watched the beasts tail and back. There was a subtle sway but he noticed that the muscle near the base of the tail would not allow it to curl up completely should something get on its back. Lupo. checked the quills seeing they still had sharpness to them and lept from the tree. His silent fall was ended by landing on Scar's back between the beasts shoulder blades. It was now a war of attrition, Lupo held on for dear Ife as Scar thrashed around determined to throw the hunter off and make him lunch. Lupo held on and went with the wild motions as best he could. He then caught a glimpse, a flash of metal. He was close enough to the daggers that he could if he tried, reach them. He began to feel out Scar's thrashing pattern and when Scar came down, dropping his body low to the ground. Lupo simply let go of the quills and slid forward before his hands found the handles of his daggers. As he did Scar lifted his body upwards standing on two legs. Lupo looked at the beasts neck and then to the ground before he wiggled the blades and they came free, slicing up through the skin and into the spine of the monster. By the time lupo hit the ground, car was dead. Lupo now had a new problem, a few of them actually. He could tell he had at least four broken ribs and knew it was six hours to the City walls from the hot springs. He also knew a healing potion was not the only thing he was going to drink to dull the pain. It was now... A shorter day...

This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

Dusk, for some this time of day was a nuisance. The colors of the city and sky shifted blending together into a monochromatic prison of deep purples and vivid dark blues. Some claimed it was oppressive and harsh, those people usually stayed inside once the sun began to set. Others found the momentary blending of the terrestrial and the celestial, that forced the horizon to vanish, warm and comforting. Something close to a Soft embrace from a higher power than themselves. It was a sight to behold, through the transitional monochromatic embrace the people one would see outside varied vastly from their day-going counterparts. Tall and pale beings with long white hair and fangs sharper than any blade could ever dream to be. Ethereal beauties with skin the color of blood, or the deepest parts of the ocean that possess eyes so sharp and piercing, a proper sideways glance could turn a person into jelly on the floor, sick with infatuation and longing. The Hunter himself was aware of this, he himself was one of the few who found the blending of the sky and ground warm and comforting yet, every time he stopped and looked up to the abyss above him to see the stars return to the night, he felt a pain something deeper than skin or bone, something far deeper but it was not a pain he could ever place. It happened so often and had been around so long he generally worked around it. With his small reprieve from the day he had over, seeing the first blips of ight form in the shadowy sky, he pulled his gaze down and back to the world. With a heavy sack of coin softly swaying at his side, protected from view by the thick cloak he wore, He walked through the city to notice the lighting of the cities lanterns. Thin poles with a piece of crystal glass on it, that held an interesting mechanic behind ther, Through the middle of the pole was a metal rod, capped by a yellow stone a mana Crystal. One of the buildings near by had a small inlet which a guard would walk into, before using the larger conduit crystal to light this section of the city. Once charged, the area around the poles would glow a soft and inviting yellow color providing light to the otherwise abysmal night. Strangely, Lupo had not realized how long he had been walking, and simply enjoying the small things the city had to offer. Giving a small check of his surroundings he spotted his destination before him by a few more feet. At this time, he would be arriving before the first rush of patrons. With that in mind, and the knowledge that Rachel most ikely opened a new cask for the night, he was excited to be getting one of the first tankards of the best alcohol in town.

Lupo stood at the door of the tavern. He mused for a moment of its craftmanship as it seemed eerily familiar to him. Shaking off this strange sense of déja vu, he entered the building to be met by a warm atmosphere and hardly any patrons at this time, course it was early but there were a few people he knew of that were. more attached to the drink than he was. Many times Rachel asked him why he drank and each time he did not have an answer. “Why did he drink?" He wondered has he took his usual spot at the bar itself. It wasn't like alcohol was the most flavorful thing to consume, and while he didn't mind being drunk he never set out with that goal in mind. He didn't have any regrets, least any he was aware of, No painful memories that sat at the forefront of his mind. Was it just because this was the only time he was social? So many questions drifted through his head all for another time. With his usual seat at the counter taken he looked up to the owner and subsequent barmaid of the Moonshine Tavern, Rachel Moonshine herself. A very rare being as she was one of only two dragon like beings to exist in the city and realm as far as anyone knew. Long black hair pulled back into a tight pony tail, with her horns sliding down the soft curve of her jaw. She was rather beautiful and she knew it, usually using it against those patrons dumb enough to hit on her to get an extra coin or two until they decided to get handsy, after that it was a short conversation for the second attempt was met with one of Rachel's legendary punches. It was said that she was strong enough to shatter stone and break buildings, considering that Lupo had seen her lft up full cask barrels of alcohol with one hand and toss them around like they were paper weights, he did not doubt her power. It never seemed to get to that point as Rachel began to gather a following, various patrons of al different races who watched out for her even though she didn't need it. Being one of the first people here had a lot of benefits. Since it wasn't busy yet, you could talk to Rachel and generally set yourself up for a night of good service, assuming you did not "poke the dragon" as many called it. The second benefit was to smell the kitchen come to life. While the Moonshine name was synonymous for alcohol there was one name that you could say around the tavern and see people begin to salivate. Cynthia Chatauebraind. No one knew where Rachel or her elder sister Tabitha found the small girl, but most of the patrons thought her something of a myth. She was like a culinary deity. She knew every cut of every creature. How to draw out the most natural flavor, and how to season her dishes to highlight them in a way others couldn't manage. Lupo had known of her for years but had never seen her. He had heard a story that one day, one of his fellow trappers had seen her exit the kitchen for a cup of "Red Juice." A type of slightly alcoholic beverage that Rachel made for those wanting a meal and a nice evening rather than a drink and a party. Lupo watched the window where al the food exited the kitchen, hoping to catch a glimpse of her. It was obvious she was at work as from the kitchen wafted the scent of grilling onions, thick and hearty soups, various confectionaries and sweets as well as something more floral and “green” smelling.

His stomach roared in protest sounding like his fallen foe which caused him to jump and Rachel who stood at the other end of the bar to look at him. She walked over in her usual night outfit. A tight ft corset sections of the sides removed to show off more skin. Said corset traveled down and filled out turning into some what of a dress that sat on the middle of her thighs. Under it rested a pair of tight fit shorts that were more to underwear than actual public wear. Long fishnet stockings lay down her legs into a set of heeled boots. Her hands had a set of leather fingerless gloves the palms a slightly lighter color due to wear. She. leaned on the counter giving him a gracious view of what the corset was keeping in check. She spoke to Lupo with an eyebrow raised. "Bit early for you to be in hunter, What brings you round this time? If I had to guess I'd bet on it being your stomach screaming louder than some of those couples I hear from the Inn next door.” Lupo sheepishly looked up from the counter passing a quick glance over what he was expected to see before he met her eyes. Vibrant pools of amber color shone through her glasses. Regaining himself Lupo replied. He usually didn't have much reason to be in here other than the atmosphere. With no memories he tended to be around large groups of people hoping a stray face would jump start his mind and let him remember as it was his usual night to be here with a friend. Someone he had known a long time. Putting a small smile on his face he replied to her playful jab. “It is early but then again, when you bag Scar and get paid out for him wouldn't you bet at the best place in town too? As for my stomach I can bet that... I haven't eaten in a few days. If memory recalls I spent most of last night nose deep in a pint of your ale and didn't eat anything. With all those lovely smells from the kitchen I wonder if could get something to eat. Rachel's choice.”

Rachel passed a sly glance back to the kitchen knowing exactly what he was referring to. Cynthia was almost a patron saint to her customers and seeing as how sometimes she had to leave the doors locked just so people wouldn't pour in when they had no food prepared, she hesitated partially. After a moment Rachel sauntered to the window, letting the heels of her boots diick along the hard stone behind the counter. Her motion was awfully enticing as her hips swayed allowing the skirt she wore to wave and bend along her body. Rachel crossed her arms before placing her elbows onto the windows smooth iron surface. Her eyes passed over the various pots and pans in the kitchen before landing on the small woman. Barely classified as such due to her age, Cynthia had been a fierce competitor for this job, even going as far as paying for a trapper to go and get her some of the finest quality meat around. Rachels expression furrowed a bit as she remembered this fact. Stealing a quick glance at Lupo who sipped his vibrant drink at the counter, She recalled the description of the trapper who filled the order. Tall, dark cloak, partially insensitive to her pleas to have it skinned. Shaking her head of the comical conversation Rachel beckoned over her employee and passed off a few words of request and complement which set Cynthia on fire. The short woman began racing around her staff, darting between stations prepping a large platter like plate at the request of boss. Satisfied by her effort, Rachel walked back to the front of the bar, poised with a pleasant smile which she graced lupo with. "Foods on the way hunter, Cynthia has a fire under her feet so be sure what you are. getting is probably on the menu with a few twists, or some new things. Want to pay for the night? Or put on your tab." She spoke to him but continued her duties as the boss and bar maid, after all, it looks very unprofessional to just stand around when you have other customers at the bar. She had grabbed a small towel, and began wiping down the bar with it cleaning off the beautiful piece of weepingwood that acted as her main service counter. She continued down, puling up pitchers of drink for the few, various people siting at the bar enjoying the early night. Pints of ale, tankards of a special brew Rachel had for the coming winter season called "Hearth's Embrace” a spiced alcohol that was sweet and warming, with a heavy influence from a rose apples.

Lupo eyed her as she turned to him and offered the smile. It warmed his heart and made him rather happy to have Rachel as a friend. She was one of the few people he seemed to aways be comfortable around. Some sense of long lost friendship or comradery. Shaking it off he nodded and decided that, since the crowd coming in would most likely be working off a hangover, he could be a bit exposed. He tilted his hood back and allowed it to rest on his shoulders exposing the short dark locks of hair which to Rachel's surprise were very well kept despite the fact she had only ever seen him without a hood no more than five occasions, this marking the sixth. With his food on the way lupo had barely any time to prop an elbow up onto the newly cleaned counter before her next question came out. He had yet to register it fully before he realized and scrambled to pull the coin purse out. Placing it on the counter he pushed it towards her with confidence he did not usually have since he did not usually have this much money. "I will use this throughout the night, whatever I have left I will take with me when you eventually decide to kick me out, or He gets us kicked out again for breaking someone's nose.” Rachel had moved down the bar to fill one of the older customers cups. A cracked wooden mug that he kept on himself. No one knew how old he truly was but they knew his story. The man who discovered Ebridite. Once a fantastic miner now rested as an almost permanent fixture in her bar. When she heard Lupo mention “Him" she cringed inwardly. Not for lack of liking the person, he was one of her best customers he just sadly had a bit of a hot streak in himself. Mentally preparing for the night head of hear Rachel moved back down the bar and took the coin purse putting it behind the bar in a glass jar with a large stylized "L" on it. No sooner than the cloth sack touch the glass jar, did the small bell in the kitchen window ding. Slightly surprised and mildly concerned Rachel walked over to find Cynthia looking out of breath as she presented the rather lavish plate of food. A wide variety of meats, from Bowffalo, Grumblerup and Chickencrow all treated to different methods of cooking then married to sides of vegetables and breads. It was enough food for four people at least. However Rachel did not mind, she knew its recipient would be happy to have it. Taking the still sizzling plate she moved it with her bare hands to the counter for the Hunter. Being a dragon had its perks some times. With the food delivered, Rachel left from behind the bar and made a round checking on her patrons to ensure their continued happiness allowing Lupo the moment he would need to process the large meal.

Lupo smelt the food long before it reached him. The sultry smell of butter and grilled chickencrow. The sound of sizzling bowffalo steaks covered in herbs and a slab of grumblerup coated with exotic spices from the coast. The lush vegetables and small side dishes were wonderful and vibrant adding splashes of color to the huge plate. Once more his stomach made sounds that would cause an Umbra Furi to blush. With a happy nod and a silent thank you to Rachel and Cynthia, Lupo began to eat slowly not to gorge himself on food. His meal was slow and taken with a heavy amount of leisure. Internally he had one complaint, which Rachel remedied causing him to pause for a moment. Just as he began to think the bar was a bit cold, She walked to the wall of Alcohol casks pulling an empty one down only to shatter the top and bottom then break the sides into smaller pieces. Once they were manageable in size, she put them into the large fireplace carved of black stone and breathed a small ring of flames into the dried shards of wood watching them set ablaze and fill the bar with a welcoming warmth but also with the subtle scent of alcohol. The atmosphere now perfect and the night off to a fantastic start, Lupo watched out one of the windows to the sky seeing it venture into a beautiful shade of night. Time slipped away from him as he absent mindedly ate and made small talk with Rachel as well as some of the younger workers that came in from their various fields of profession. Standing up to stretch his stiff body, Lupo had not realized the bar had filled slowly leaving only a few tables empty for newcomers Normally he would have been paying attention but the soft sense of comfort brought out by everything in the room when he arrived had momentarily taken his guard down. Passing a quick look down the center walkway he caught sight of the door and noticed the handle jiggling. Opening his mouth to call out to Rachel, tempting to ask if it needed to be fixed Lupo caught himself as he slowly grinned. When he saw the handle finally turn enough to allow the latch to open his smile grew as from the cold street stepped in the person he. was waiting on. To most, two and a half feet of fur, floppy ears and a cute hat did not seem like something. You would see in a bar. Then again most people did not know the being that existed inside the coat of soft hair. Calling out to his friend with a wave, Lupo shouted a bit louder than he realized "Aye! Quincy!"

The small fluffy creature looked up and saw the Human, waving at him. With a small twitch of his nose, the tiny creature lifted up his paw and waved back shouting at an equal volume to the man. "Aye, look at'chu huh! Big man Lupo! Lemme guess, drinking on my paycheck again tonight, ya freeloader?" Quincy moved himself to Lupo who greeted him with a hand shake and a pat on the shoulder. Quincy looked at the bar stools then to lupo with a heavy sigh he began to mantle and climb up to the soft cushion at the top "Did I ever tell you how much I hate when you pick the spot to sit at night? Like damn, had to pick the big chairs, couldn't pick a booth or even a short table. I bet when you walked in you even looked at the bar and said "know what, screw Quincy tonight, short lil’ shit can climb tonight, bet he'd love that" With a small huff, he finally reached the top and sat just tall enough to st at the bar Lupo shook his head as his friend mentioned money. It was true, Quincy usually paid for all their food and drinks, but not tonight. Lupo looked to him as he walked over and spoke in response "Not tonight, We drink on my money. Sad to say, "Scar" got in the way of me and my cloak. Sadder to say, "Scar" isn't with us any more. Though his bounty did pay enough to make me some ice gear as well as pay for tonight.” Watching. his friend get to the seat then grumble away as he ascended the varnished wooden stool, Lupo bit back a laugh. Quincy was fierce, and foul mouthed in the loveable jerk kind of way. When he finally got to the top. Lupo made the bold decision to tease him "Awww, look at you, got up to the bar all by yourself, I'l ask Rachel to get you a big cup tonight” his sentence finished with a loud laugh that let him look away from Quincy who he knew would have turned his head and glared daggers into the side of Lupo's head. Rachel came by shortly after the chuckle and took their frst collective order. Two pints of "Hearth's Embrace” Slow start but she knew they would be here a while.