40th of Searing, 103 - Optional.
It was getting to be the best part of the season of the best season of the year. Searing. It was the time of year that Arkash could stay outside for longer without stopping by the fire; Cojack and Liu had both told him so, and the boy eagerly awaited their return. Arkash loved the snow, despite its detriment to his cold-blooded body, but he also loved being able to stay outside for longer. Either way, the lizard found himself happy in his situation.
He'd been home alone all day. Mom and dad were always at work, and though they promised that he'd someday join them; five birthdays weren't nearly enough to help in the mines, as they said. So, the young hatchling entertained himself by counting the wooden planks on the floor, then the walls, and even the roof. The roof was a little more difficult due to how far it was, but Arkash managed fine. In the end, he discovered that it was actually the floor that had the most planks. Arkash knew the floor to be supreme, as it had consistently harbored the most planks for several months in a row. Not that it was a competition or anything of the sort.
He'd been wrapped up in his fur throws by the fire when the hatch of the door clicked and lifted. Arkash shot up and began to wiggle as his suppressed excitement began to overflow. They were home. They were finally home, and they could play. The door pushed open to reveal the smiling lupus that was his mother's visage. Her grey fur was matted in dirt and grime, but she didn't at all look tired. "Ark!" She called, and held her hands out as if to offer a hug.
"Mommy!" He cried and leaped from his fur throws to charge her. The two collided, and the conditioned wolf lifted the small lizard with ease, held him in her arms, and turned to carry out his momentum. Despite his mother's returned excitement and sudden hugs, however, all the lizard truly wanted was to play outside. He'd been waiting all day, after all. So, he squirmed in her hold in an effort to break away. "I wanna go ou'side!" Spoke the young Rath in their Vithmi tongue. He still had trouble making the 'T' noise with the shape of his mouth.
Liu, who just watched the lizard's squirms with amusement rose a brow at the declaration. "Ou'side?" She asked with a tilt of her head. "Where's that?" She wasn't teasing him, it was more practice to get him to pronounce things properly.
Arkash furrowed his brow, for he felt teased. "Ou-d-side!" he spoke with plentiful emphasis on the one consonant.
Liu widened her eyes, and mouthed a silent 'oh'. "You mean Ou-t-side?" She asked with a certain light in her eyes. It was close enough, and Arkash was probably rearing to get outdoors. She let it slide.
The young Rath nodded quickly. That was what he meant.
"Hmmm... Alright then," she spoke with a smile and a sigh. A dried scale caught her attention on his shoulder, and she moved her hand to brush it off with her thumb. Arkash didn't shed like snakes, it was gradually all over his body in patches. If it weren't for her own fur sheddings all over the house, Arkash's scales would have been a problem! The boy didn't even notice the removal of his scale; he was far too bouncy and squirmy in his efforts to break free so that he could play.
With a grin, the wolf backed out of the house and locked the door behind her. The fire was on its last embers, and it was secured by the stone tiles. They were fine to let it die. "Why don't we play hide and seek?" She offered.
"Yeah!" Returned Arkash immediately. Whenever he played outside, he wasn't allowed to do it alone. Cojack and Liu had to be with him at all times. hide and seek allowed him to break away for a moment, and merely focus on hiding. he wasn't allowed in the alleys, however. He knew that. But it didn't matter, for Arkash had his own secret hiding place; it was his favorite one, too.
Liu chuckled under her breath. "Alright. You hide, I'll start counting the moment I put you down. Okay?"
Arkash's thick tail swayed side to side while he dangled, emulating Liu's. A quick nod came his reply, and she set the boy down before she turned to the door of their rickety wooden shack. At once, Arkash bolted and ran across the cobbled street. The click of his claws was loud in Liu's ears, she could almost tell where he was going just by the sound alone. "Ten... Nine... Eight..."
Liu was so good at counting backward. It wouldn't take her nearly as long as it took him. But, that didn't matter, he was great at hiding. At once, Arkash reached the nook he dropped to his hands and knees to crawl under. He went back first so that he could see the outside. It was intended to be some gutter on the building it was attached to but didn't lead anywhere. So, it was Arkash's favorite hiding place instead.
As his head became enveloped in darkness, however, someone grabbed him! He felt their arm jump out to hold his back with a sudden, quiet "Raa!" sound. Arkash screamed.
"Shhh! Arkash, it's me!" spoke Cojack in a low whisper. Akash couldn't see him, it was too dark. But, his father's comforting voice calmed him.
"Daddy..? Why are you here?" he asked, confused. Why was Cojack in his favorite hiding spot?
"Hiding from Mommy, shhh! I think she's coming..." That made sense. Arkash was also hiding from her. At once, the komodo dragon covered his muzzle and held it shut so that he couldn't speak. True enough to Cojack's word, he saw Liu's paws on the street ahead.
"Hmm," sounded his mother's voice above. "Strange, I could have sworn I heard someone yelling over here," she spoke with a very pronounced voice as if she were projecting for all to hear.
Arkash and Cojack both held back their giggling. They were right there beneath her, and she couldn't tell. That was until she suddenly dropped to all fours and looked into the hole with a shine in her eyes. "Aha! Found you!" She declared triumphantly. Arkash whined in defeat. Somehow, she always found him quickly when he hid there.
"Aww, darn. Well, it's your turn to seek now, right Ark?" Asked Cojack, who rubbed over his son's head with a large hand. Arkash nodded a little, then carefully crawled forward to emerge from the hiding spot. He'd changed his mind; that hiding spot sucked.
Cojack, who had been hiding beside him was next to emerge; a large, towering anthropomorphic horse. His musculature was visible through his dirtied tunic and pants; products of the mine. Arkash pressed into his claws, then leaped with his feet to bring his knees to his chest, and stood from his crouched position. Cojack lifted one leg, then rose to stand and brushed himself off a bit. He was the tallest of the three, strongest too. Cojack could carry him and Liu at the same time.
Regardless, it was Arkash's turn to count. So, on the spot, he faced the wall and covered his eyes. He began to count from ten to one. It was difficult, not because he didn't know how to count, but because remembering the order backward was tricky. He didn't like seeking much, anyway. Cojack and Liu were both terrible at hiding. Ten became one, and Arkash declared that he would find them. The moment he turned around, he saw Liu's tail swishing from behind a lamppost. He turned in another direction and saw the mane of Cojack's back poking out from behind a garden wall. He sighed quietly to himself and approached one after the other in turn. They were both found.
"Aww, rats!" Cursed Liu.
"Darn, Arkash!" Cursed Cojack.
Both the mammals seemed stumped that Arkash had found them with such ease. But Arkash thought it miraculous that they didn't realize how bad they were at hiding. Then, it was Cojack's turn to seek. Liu and he ran off to their hiding places. Liu went to Arkash's old favorite hiding place, but Arkash did not. They always found him when he hid there. He listened carefully as Cojack counted down, then looked to Liu as she disappeared into the darkness of the gutter. Meanwhile, Arkash broke the rules and slipped into one of the alleys. It was a long narrow path of stone, and the only way in and out was ahead of him; no one could sneak up on him from there.
Cojack declared that he'd find them when his countdown hit zero, and Arkash watched from behind one of the crates there. The horse made a b-line for Arkash's ex-favorite hiding spot. He was right not to hide there!
With a glare, Arkash lowered his head and listened to the conversation unfold. "Found you!" Declared Cojack, and a moment of silence followed. "Ark isn't with you?"
"No... I think he chose a different spot this time."
"Strange... I'll have a look around."
Arkash grinned, then turned around to put his back against the crate while his father searched. "Oh, where could Arkash be?!" Called his father's deep, powerful voice. Arkash began to laugh as he covered his mouth. They'd never find him there. His laugh died when his eyes settled on something unfamiliar, however. Laid out before him was some sort of smelly lump in a blanket. Another person? There were various bits and pieces of random baubles stowed in small boxes around him, which Arkash presumed to be his belongings. Why was he sleeping in an Alley, and not in a house? The longer Arkash stared, the quicker he discovered more details about him.
He was a stinky human with really shiny skin. He had a lot of fur on his face, which covered his upper lip, cheeks, chin, and neck in a long messy cone shape. he couldn't see much of the human's clothes, but his blanket was stained with what looked to be poop... or mud. It certainly smelled awful. Either way, the human's belongings interested him, and one particular piece caught his attention. A wooden carving of a cat was sat among his piles of... random junk.
The cat appeared to be hand-carved by knife, had four legs, a head with two pointy ears and a muzzle, and a little nub for the tail. It was lacking in definition, but Arkash could tell it was a cat, and it was very cute. He wanted it, and the man was asleep... so he simply reached out with his claws and took the cat.
Shortly after, he emerged from the Alley, and both Liu and Cojack were actively searching for him. As his claws clicked on the stone, Liu snapped to look at him dead in the eye. "Arkash!" She called, then ran toward him. Cojack followed suit, and his hooves thudded the ground as he caught up to the pair. "Where were you?! We couldn't find you!"
Arkash pointed to the alley with the claw that held the wooden cat. His Mother's eyes widened in bewilderment. "Arkash... you're not supposed to hide there, you know that," spoke Cojack firmly while Liu sorted through her muddled thoughts.
"Where did you get that, Arkash?" She asked at last.
"From duh smelly furry man," he replied and pointed again.
"What?" Returned Cojack, who approached the Alleyway. He called out something in common that Arkash didn't understand, and the smelly man woke up. Some words were exchanged, and the man settled his tired gaze on Arkash. Soon after, Cojack retuned and knelt before the youngest Rath. "Arkash, you can't just take things from people, that's stealing."
"S-d-ealing?" He asked, unsure. Cojack nodded and held out his hand.
"You have to return it, it's not yours." Arkash really didn't want to return the cat. He wanted to keep it; but if Cojack said that he had to, who was he to refuse? So, he took his father's hand and returned to the Alley. there, the smelly human was sat upright in his bedroll. Arkash avoided his gaze as he held out the wooden cat, and placed it back in the human's hands. The human smiled a little and looked up to Cojack before he mouthed something in common that Arkash didn't understand. After a brief lesson in Common, Arkash was taught to say 'Sorry,' to the human.
With that, playtime was over, and the family returned to their abode, where they would cook and then eat together.
It was getting to be the best part of the season of the best season of the year. Searing. It was the time of year that Arkash could stay outside for longer without stopping by the fire; Cojack and Liu had both told him so, and the boy eagerly awaited their return. Arkash loved the snow, despite its detriment to his cold-blooded body, but he also loved being able to stay outside for longer. Either way, the lizard found himself happy in his situation.
He'd been home alone all day. Mom and dad were always at work, and though they promised that he'd someday join them; five birthdays weren't nearly enough to help in the mines, as they said. So, the young hatchling entertained himself by counting the wooden planks on the floor, then the walls, and even the roof. The roof was a little more difficult due to how far it was, but Arkash managed fine. In the end, he discovered that it was actually the floor that had the most planks. Arkash knew the floor to be supreme, as it had consistently harbored the most planks for several months in a row. Not that it was a competition or anything of the sort.
He'd been wrapped up in his fur throws by the fire when the hatch of the door clicked and lifted. Arkash shot up and began to wiggle as his suppressed excitement began to overflow. They were home. They were finally home, and they could play. The door pushed open to reveal the smiling lupus that was his mother's visage. Her grey fur was matted in dirt and grime, but she didn't at all look tired. "Ark!" She called, and held her hands out as if to offer a hug.
"Mommy!" He cried and leaped from his fur throws to charge her. The two collided, and the conditioned wolf lifted the small lizard with ease, held him in her arms, and turned to carry out his momentum. Despite his mother's returned excitement and sudden hugs, however, all the lizard truly wanted was to play outside. He'd been waiting all day, after all. So, he squirmed in her hold in an effort to break away. "I wanna go ou'side!" Spoke the young Rath in their Vithmi tongue. He still had trouble making the 'T' noise with the shape of his mouth.
Liu, who just watched the lizard's squirms with amusement rose a brow at the declaration. "Ou'side?" She asked with a tilt of her head. "Where's that?" She wasn't teasing him, it was more practice to get him to pronounce things properly.
Arkash furrowed his brow, for he felt teased. "Ou-d-side!" he spoke with plentiful emphasis on the one consonant.
Liu widened her eyes, and mouthed a silent 'oh'. "You mean Ou-t-side?" She asked with a certain light in her eyes. It was close enough, and Arkash was probably rearing to get outdoors. She let it slide.
The young Rath nodded quickly. That was what he meant.
"Hmmm... Alright then," she spoke with a smile and a sigh. A dried scale caught her attention on his shoulder, and she moved her hand to brush it off with her thumb. Arkash didn't shed like snakes, it was gradually all over his body in patches. If it weren't for her own fur sheddings all over the house, Arkash's scales would have been a problem! The boy didn't even notice the removal of his scale; he was far too bouncy and squirmy in his efforts to break free so that he could play.
With a grin, the wolf backed out of the house and locked the door behind her. The fire was on its last embers, and it was secured by the stone tiles. They were fine to let it die. "Why don't we play hide and seek?" She offered.
"Yeah!" Returned Arkash immediately. Whenever he played outside, he wasn't allowed to do it alone. Cojack and Liu had to be with him at all times. hide and seek allowed him to break away for a moment, and merely focus on hiding. he wasn't allowed in the alleys, however. He knew that. But it didn't matter, for Arkash had his own secret hiding place; it was his favorite one, too.
Liu chuckled under her breath. "Alright. You hide, I'll start counting the moment I put you down. Okay?"
Arkash's thick tail swayed side to side while he dangled, emulating Liu's. A quick nod came his reply, and she set the boy down before she turned to the door of their rickety wooden shack. At once, Arkash bolted and ran across the cobbled street. The click of his claws was loud in Liu's ears, she could almost tell where he was going just by the sound alone. "Ten... Nine... Eight..."
Liu was so good at counting backward. It wouldn't take her nearly as long as it took him. But, that didn't matter, he was great at hiding. At once, Arkash reached the nook he dropped to his hands and knees to crawl under. He went back first so that he could see the outside. It was intended to be some gutter on the building it was attached to but didn't lead anywhere. So, it was Arkash's favorite hiding place instead.
As his head became enveloped in darkness, however, someone grabbed him! He felt their arm jump out to hold his back with a sudden, quiet "Raa!" sound. Arkash screamed.
"Shhh! Arkash, it's me!" spoke Cojack in a low whisper. Akash couldn't see him, it was too dark. But, his father's comforting voice calmed him.
"Daddy..? Why are you here?" he asked, confused. Why was Cojack in his favorite hiding spot?
"Hiding from Mommy, shhh! I think she's coming..." That made sense. Arkash was also hiding from her. At once, the komodo dragon covered his muzzle and held it shut so that he couldn't speak. True enough to Cojack's word, he saw Liu's paws on the street ahead.
"Hmm," sounded his mother's voice above. "Strange, I could have sworn I heard someone yelling over here," she spoke with a very pronounced voice as if she were projecting for all to hear.
Arkash and Cojack both held back their giggling. They were right there beneath her, and she couldn't tell. That was until she suddenly dropped to all fours and looked into the hole with a shine in her eyes. "Aha! Found you!" She declared triumphantly. Arkash whined in defeat. Somehow, she always found him quickly when he hid there.
"Aww, darn. Well, it's your turn to seek now, right Ark?" Asked Cojack, who rubbed over his son's head with a large hand. Arkash nodded a little, then carefully crawled forward to emerge from the hiding spot. He'd changed his mind; that hiding spot sucked.
Cojack, who had been hiding beside him was next to emerge; a large, towering anthropomorphic horse. His musculature was visible through his dirtied tunic and pants; products of the mine. Arkash pressed into his claws, then leaped with his feet to bring his knees to his chest, and stood from his crouched position. Cojack lifted one leg, then rose to stand and brushed himself off a bit. He was the tallest of the three, strongest too. Cojack could carry him and Liu at the same time.
Regardless, it was Arkash's turn to count. So, on the spot, he faced the wall and covered his eyes. He began to count from ten to one. It was difficult, not because he didn't know how to count, but because remembering the order backward was tricky. He didn't like seeking much, anyway. Cojack and Liu were both terrible at hiding. Ten became one, and Arkash declared that he would find them. The moment he turned around, he saw Liu's tail swishing from behind a lamppost. He turned in another direction and saw the mane of Cojack's back poking out from behind a garden wall. He sighed quietly to himself and approached one after the other in turn. They were both found.
"Aww, rats!" Cursed Liu.
"Darn, Arkash!" Cursed Cojack.
Both the mammals seemed stumped that Arkash had found them with such ease. But Arkash thought it miraculous that they didn't realize how bad they were at hiding. Then, it was Cojack's turn to seek. Liu and he ran off to their hiding places. Liu went to Arkash's old favorite hiding place, but Arkash did not. They always found him when he hid there. He listened carefully as Cojack counted down, then looked to Liu as she disappeared into the darkness of the gutter. Meanwhile, Arkash broke the rules and slipped into one of the alleys. It was a long narrow path of stone, and the only way in and out was ahead of him; no one could sneak up on him from there.
Cojack declared that he'd find them when his countdown hit zero, and Arkash watched from behind one of the crates there. The horse made a b-line for Arkash's ex-favorite hiding spot. He was right not to hide there!
With a glare, Arkash lowered his head and listened to the conversation unfold. "Found you!" Declared Cojack, and a moment of silence followed. "Ark isn't with you?"
"No... I think he chose a different spot this time."
"Strange... I'll have a look around."
Arkash grinned, then turned around to put his back against the crate while his father searched. "Oh, where could Arkash be?!" Called his father's deep, powerful voice. Arkash began to laugh as he covered his mouth. They'd never find him there. His laugh died when his eyes settled on something unfamiliar, however. Laid out before him was some sort of smelly lump in a blanket. Another person? There were various bits and pieces of random baubles stowed in small boxes around him, which Arkash presumed to be his belongings. Why was he sleeping in an Alley, and not in a house? The longer Arkash stared, the quicker he discovered more details about him.
He was a stinky human with really shiny skin. He had a lot of fur on his face, which covered his upper lip, cheeks, chin, and neck in a long messy cone shape. he couldn't see much of the human's clothes, but his blanket was stained with what looked to be poop... or mud. It certainly smelled awful. Either way, the human's belongings interested him, and one particular piece caught his attention. A wooden carving of a cat was sat among his piles of... random junk.
The cat appeared to be hand-carved by knife, had four legs, a head with two pointy ears and a muzzle, and a little nub for the tail. It was lacking in definition, but Arkash could tell it was a cat, and it was very cute. He wanted it, and the man was asleep... so he simply reached out with his claws and took the cat.
Shortly after, he emerged from the Alley, and both Liu and Cojack were actively searching for him. As his claws clicked on the stone, Liu snapped to look at him dead in the eye. "Arkash!" She called, then ran toward him. Cojack followed suit, and his hooves thudded the ground as he caught up to the pair. "Where were you?! We couldn't find you!"
Arkash pointed to the alley with the claw that held the wooden cat. His Mother's eyes widened in bewilderment. "Arkash... you're not supposed to hide there, you know that," spoke Cojack firmly while Liu sorted through her muddled thoughts.
"Where did you get that, Arkash?" She asked at last.
"From duh smelly furry man," he replied and pointed again.
"What?" Returned Cojack, who approached the Alleyway. He called out something in common that Arkash didn't understand, and the smelly man woke up. Some words were exchanged, and the man settled his tired gaze on Arkash. Soon after, Cojack retuned and knelt before the youngest Rath. "Arkash, you can't just take things from people, that's stealing."
"S-d-ealing?" He asked, unsure. Cojack nodded and held out his hand.
"You have to return it, it's not yours." Arkash really didn't want to return the cat. He wanted to keep it; but if Cojack said that he had to, who was he to refuse? So, he took his father's hand and returned to the Alley. there, the smelly human was sat upright in his bedroll. Arkash avoided his gaze as he held out the wooden cat, and placed it back in the human's hands. The human smiled a little and looked up to Cojack before he mouthed something in common that Arkash didn't understand. After a brief lesson in Common, Arkash was taught to say 'Sorry,' to the human.
With that, playtime was over, and the family returned to their abode, where they would cook and then eat together.
