Campaign entries - Caspian: Crystal Caves, ch1 - a childish endeavor - 731 words

What was left in the wake of the wyrm's wrath for Caspian, held a flame hotter than the limbless dragon's unexplainable ire.

 

Hiisi was furious. She had all the rights to be. The eternal wasn't able to keep his common sense in front of his tongue as often as he'd liked. It was unideal - and only inevitable that he'd anger the Dinakian with one poorly chosen word. It was all it took. Not always, but on bad days, at least.

 

Caspian didn't blame her, though. He was the one speaking jestful ill of her, after all, not the other way around.

 

That was a problem for another day, however - and it had partially been solved already, anyway. The shifter could still hear her fury in the muddled memory of the moment. Hiisi rarely got that angry. He needed some time to speak with her. It couldn't just be the mention of a snake. Now just wasn't the time for that.

Caspian watched the forge from a considerable distance. Even without its well known lead, it kept huffing out smoke like a salamander on a hissy fit. Leslie couldn't be behind any of this - it made little sense, nor was it in line with the man's character to begin with. Hell, even Nathaniel could've vouched for him, despite their short interactions. Caspian's meeting with the man had been just as brief.

 

People as skilled and friendly are far and between, the dragon had said about the smith. The strange sickle was indeed an impressive proof of his skill and dedication with solidified, aurora-like light itself.

 

So either mister Everlake was as innocent as it felt like he was, or should've been, or he was an excellent liar. Or and actor. Whichever came first.

The sharp looks from the forge workers weren't anything new - quite the contrary. The familiarity lessened their antagonistic impact, but didn't dull it out completely. A worn blade was still a blade, no matter how rusted and unusable.

 

The judgmental edge such stares enveloped might've mellowed with the shifter's revelation of wanting to help the acclaimed crystalsmith, but it still stung, like going too close to a forge with an open flame. That hostile heat blended with the bitter scent of all the burning material inside the workshop. It was an unnerving tension that had no intention of leaving before this was all over - if it would do so even then. Caspian had no reason to linger. He had nothing to prove. Nothing to explain. He proceeded forward.

"I don't think I ever got your name before. Although I think that odd bloke mentioned you in passing."

 

Hearing such allegation, Caspian couldn't push away the suspicious squint that framed his face. "Odd bloke?"

 

Leslie chuckled soundlessly at the eternal's reaction. "Long hair. Pale as snow. Never wore a shirt."

 

"Ah." It wasn't a surprise. Of course he did. Why wouldn't that damn dragon keep his mouth shut about anything?

 

On the other hand, who was Caspian to mock Nathaniel about it. He did exactly the same, all the time. Was probably worse, tenfold.

 

A loose tongue, however, didn't grow his tolerance towards critical glares. He had had quite enough of those today already. Whatever didn't kill you made you stronger - but that saying was naive and flawed at best. The shifter didn't like they way Leslie eyed him. The man had a reason to, but Caspian wasn't known to be reasonable.

 

"If you like what you see, you've got good vision," the Athos growled while crossing his arms. It startled the smaller man - or whatever that reaction might've been. Caspian couldn't really tell.

 

"There's no need to get cross," Leslie attempted to calm down the lanky beast before things would escalate. "That won't help with you helping me."

 

Caspian rolled his eyes. "Not so sure if I'm up for it anymore."

 

"You're being childish."

 

"Am not!"

"This isn't your first adventure, is it?"

 

This wasn't his first adventure, no - despite the shifter's behavior. "Nope," Caspian replied, ending the word with a somewhat annoyed pop. "Do I look that young to you, seriously?"

 

Leslie's gaze narrowed, as a puzzled expression veiled his face with its sharp-edged shadow. He inhaled, but Caspian interrupted him before a single syllable got out of his mouth.

 

"Don't answer that." The Athos gestured almost erratically to make the man stay quiet. "Just don't answer that."