A Midnight Walk

Shantytown. Somewhere Royal actually felt comfortable sticking around. The changeling - despite being good natured, was still used to their origins. The populated areas, where people went about their daily life? It was something new to them. Very very new and very strange. Especially since they stuck out like a sore thumb in their original form. For their first time exploring the area, Shantytown and the docks were the places they wanted to be. However, as they walked around -  it seemed that someone else wanted to look even more strange than they did.

They would watch, rubbing the chin as they stuck to a wall - corner to watch them walk past. Horns. Wing, axe. What a… Weird combo this person was rocking. Though the Axe was something they probably didn’t do on purpose.

Or maybe they did. Who knew?

“That looks like it hurts.”

Royal would state, making their presence known and smiling. They weren’t afraid or anything, their escape was setup. Always have a way out, a good saying if you wanted to live. They would wave, trying to get their attention to the axe in their shoulder.

“I can get that out, unless thats some form of holstering your axe here in Praach.”

They commented after, that shit eating grin getting bigger as they let out a small chuckle. It was pretty funny seeing the axe stick out, but being stabbed with one and then walking around required some endurance and constitution. It must’ve itched like crazy.

It.

Not… The wrong way to describe Royal. They were a changeling, so it hurt a little bit being called ‘it’ but to be fair, they’ve been called worse. They would reach up, going to pull the axe out while nodding. Now that Cicatrix was closer, they could see the white hair paired with the white pale skin. How they looked too - not an elf, nothing like an elf. Apart from the ears. Other than that? Their eyes were completely black, no pupils.

They also looked like a male. But also a female? It was a strange contrast, but it worked. Their tone too was confusing.

“Royal, my name is Royal. Nice to meet yah, Cicatrix. If I could axe you a question, how’d this happen?”

Royal asked, smiling as they pulled the axe out - holding it and flipping it to offer back to Cicatrix. They would smile, resting a hand on their hip as they looked over the person in front of them - a strange person indeed. She looked interesting, more than they did.

“Like being stabbed is nothing new to me, but walking around with it? Even as tough as that chitin is, still a bit strange?”

“Spell, huh? Whoever did it must’ve not liked yah - cruel thing to do.”

Royal commented, smiling as they ruffled their own hair. Really, they just were wandering around the area, looking - scheming mostly. They weren’t a bad person per say but they were fixed in their way of life. Doing their own thing, criminal or not to get what they wanted. So when Cicatrix offered repayment, the changeling would just rub their chin.

Magical thingy meh-bob offering Royal a favour? Interesting. Interesting indeed. But they didn’t have too much to mind right now. For now, they would just offer a hand and just smiled; their eyes looking at the girl in front of them as they just rested another hand on their hip.

“For now? Nothing. Just got here so I don’t have much on the way of ideas for repayment. Do need some friends though, can’t be walking around a new place without someone watching yah back. And to be fair, yah don’t seem bad or nothin’ - friends?”

One thing that changeling was for sure without a doubt was the fact they were a logodaedalus little bastard. Cunning and very good with what they said. When they wanted to parley or make friends, it was something of second nature to haggle, negotiate and just talk. Their tone was unmistakably friendly and kind, their posture relaxed and casual.

Royal looks at Cicatrix as she plays her little game, pondering for a moment. Then they just cracked a smile and laughed, shaking their head as they leant against the wall. Oh brother, she really thought this would scare them? They are from the Badlands! People traded their babies for a little bit of water!

The Changeling would keep laughing before slowing down, pulling out a handkerchief and just swatting their head and then deadpan looking at Cicatrix with a serious look.

Time to educate, they thought.

“The third one; you’d never land a hit or even hold onto me long enough.”

Royal stared back at Cicatrix’s eyes, their own eyes shifting around a bit and matching the stare. They would then look away, pacing a bit. Maybe Cicatrix would notice now that the Changeling’s stance was odd - relaxed but somehow expecting an attack. It was a strange mix. Very strange.

“Expect nothing. anticipate everything. My turn!”

Royal would smile, clapping their hands and looking at Cicatrix with a smile! “I love sweets. They’re always good to have after a job.” They would pace around, thinking before raising a finger and smiling. “I stole a ship after throwing half the crew overboard because they threatened to sell my ears to a collector.” Then they would stop, looking at Cicatrix with a smile and a bow.

“I’m not scared of you. And my offer of friendship isn’t some guile to bewilder you.”

They said, holding their hands in their pockets as they stared at Cicatrix - waiting for her response.

“You ain’t wrong. It was the second one.”

Royal replied, moving and leaning against the wall. Their eyes watched them talk, throwing words out like ‘eternal’, ‘pact’ and ‘unknowable’. The changeling raised an eyebrow, but they stared at Cicatrix. Slowly, the pieced together what their words meant - a pact. As in a Warlock. It started to all make sense now. Their statement about souls, killing people; to actually meet someone capable of dealing out powerful pacts with mortals was a tad bit mind boggling.

But…

They weren’t scared still. The realisation was on their face, that was very clear but they would just look at Cicatrix - before clicking their fingers, a black card appeared in their hand. They would offer it to Cicatrix, smiling and just nodding for her to take it.

“A pacts a pact - meaning a deal between both of us. That ain’t friendship. To extend my hand into a pact will bind me to something, I ain’t the most reliable. Take this. If yah need my assistance in anything, throw the card into an empty space.”

They explained, smiling and just holding it out to Cicatrix. There offer was genuine - they wanted to be on at least friendly terms with her. But they wouldn’t take the pact. The type of person they were, they craved freedom. A pact with someone, magical or not was a promise they didn’t want to fail at.

So they just wouldn’t. It wasn’t them - if that made any amount of sense.