The full moon is reft with shadowed clouds, as a pair of scruffy-looking individuals creep towards a sturdy building. The lights are out within, but you never know whether or not the owners are within or without...
The taller of the two (not by much, since he walks slouched over most of the time) whispers to his partner as he hides within the shadows of the trees. "Ya sure this is the place? Looks like a house ta me."
Muldoon says, "..an' last ah knew, dragons lived in caves!"
Scilly whispers, well, sort of whispers, "Yah, I gotta see 'im face ta face y'know. Biiiiig with these eyes that wanned ta just glow right outta the socket! He's gotta be one."
Scilly says, "They hides, ya know?"
Muldoon creeps forward, nodding, crossing the short distance from the tree to what passes as the entry area/patio. Pauses to look over his shoulder. "How big?"
Bulletin Board wakes up.
Scilly lifts up both hands and tries to hop up and down once or twice. Quietly. He shakes his head then grumbles, "I ain't tall 'nuff t'show you. It's all an illoooshun anyway. A big getup so he can hid as a peoples.
Muldoon half walks, half-crawls forward to the door, eyeballing the lock. "Yer sure. I mean, have ye seen him that big?"
Muldoon says, "I's seen dragons. Theys' big uns. Bigger than th' house."
Scilly looks indignant, for a creeper. "I tell ya, it's all n'illoooshun. He looked right at m'though, an knew I'd taken that rock even iffin he weren't lookin at me. An when he looked right at me he'd nearly *glowin* eyes an felt great tall an big."
Weary and tired, having flown in from wherever, (and boy are.. never mind..), Michael turns down the lane towards his home/shop. The clouds cover the moon, leaving him in pitch blackness.
Muldoon spits on his hands. "Right. Well, no harm in takin' a look around, I suppose." Two shakes of a lambs tail and the agile fox has the lock open. *click*
An alarm goes off in Michael's head. Someone has lousy timing.
Muldoon looks into the gloom. "Ah don't suppose ya brought a light?"
Michael murmurs and rubs his eyes, lending himself a cat's night vision as he quietly hurries down the path toward his home.
Scilly frowns a bit then shakes his head, "Notta torch," he says, "but I got somethin that'll work. Lemme try."
The little ferret screws up his face in concentration. A light skitters across his nose then hovers between the two boys. Greenish blue in color, it hilights everything in an odd way.
Muldoon nods, stepping inside and opening the door a bit further, impatiently looking around in the pitch dark for signs of dragons. So far, just the dim outlines of tables. "Ugh. That makes for a nasty color combination.."
Michael's black robes facilitate his covert observation of the two from the shadows.
Sure enough, there's someone in his house; a mage, judging from the light coming out the door and windows.
Scilly says, "I c'nt help it. It don't come in no other color."
Michael creeps up to the front of the house and peers in the window.
Muldoon looks around skeptically. "This doesn't look like no dragon's lair. Ya sure this is the right house?"
Muldoon itches the back of his neck. Always happens at the durndest moments.
Scilly sends the magi-light a little further into the room, almost like he's blowing on it to move it. "Issa front. Gotta git to the back. You ain't got fleas do ya?"
Muldoon nods, and threads his way around the table and chairs, heading for the door to the back area. "Naw. Just m'neck itches whenever there's trouble. Runs in the family, me gran says."
Muldoon thinks . o O { I'd rather believe that than having fleas. }
Scilly ducks under the table, following in the shortest possible path. "Uh huh... an yer takin us inta a dragon's hoard. Nope, no trouble." He's looking behind him then around the counters, remembering the last encounter.
Muldoon rights, and tries the door, looking up. "Hey, shine that light up there on the balcony; mebbe he's sleeping upstairs, like curled around the.. round the.. rotundah."
Scilly scrunches up his face a little. The bulb of light nearly wizzes right up the middle of the building and out into the night. Only a quick jerk keeps it within the building.
Muldoon looks up at the light, trying to see the strings.
Muldoon shakes his head and tries the door again, checking for locks.
Scilly says, "Issit up there? I thought I saw somethin movin.. iffin he catches me *again* it's gonna be my tail."
Michael steps into the building, quietly watching. Not trying to hide, so much, but not trying to be found, either.
Muldoon drops the lockpick. "I dunno. I'm taller, but not that much taller." He pauses, turning to retrieve it, and is thusly facing away from the door.
Scilly concentrates and the light wizzes back down once more. It hits close enough to it's maker to get a muffled 'eef!' and the smell of singe'd fur. The globe nearly stutters out.
Muldoon growls, "Quit futzin' with the light. It's hard enough to see." He turns around, and notices that there's someone near the door. "Ah, Scilly, was there a statue there when we came in?"
Michael leans against the doorjamb, unmoving.
Muldoon bites the back of his hand, but his other hand is slipping behind his belt where his slingshot is hidden. "Naw, if it were a stature, we wouldn't have been able ta open the door...
Scilly looks upwards, away from the willo-the-wisp he'd created and both eyes reflect the greenish light as they widen. The light begins glowing a near purple as a reaction to his fear. "Uhh... uh... no."
Muldoon kicks the door behind him, hoping it opens.
Michael lifts his eyebrows in a look of patient annoyance.
Muldoon looks at Michael's eyes, studying them intently.
Scilly just stares, that's all. The witch-light starts glowing an intent sickly lavender.
Michael says, "You found what you were looking for yet?"
Michael looks back at Muldoon.
Scilly puts both hands up and begins whispering in a high pitched voice. The light fizzles finally, lighting up with dancing sparks then popping.
Muldoon twitches his jaw, bringing around a hand filled with a slingshot, loading it with a practiced motion. "We, uh, we live here, officer. Just lightin' the candles, weren't we, Scilly?"
Muldoon acks as the light goes out.
Michael mutters into the darkness, "Yes, I am sure." A quiet whoosh and solid thump indicate the door's closing.
Muldoon blinks in the darkness, letting fly with the slingshot at the place he last saw the guard. *SPACK!*
Scilly continues his whisper and the shadows seem to drag just a little. Maple syrupish like they cling to Scilly in his frightened attempt at hiding.
Michael says, "You will gain nothing from lies."
Michael says, "Why are you here?"
Muldoon moves for the counter he remembers seeing earlier. >WHONK< More curses. "Darned counter moved."
Muldoon hisses, "We know everything, dragon."
Muldoon patpatpats the countertop, feeling his way around it so that he can use it as cover.
Michael says, "There are only three here. No dragons."
Muldoon says, "Oh, deny it if you will, but I won't believe it.. my partner sez yer a dragon, if you's the one who lives here."
Scilly says, "isshim, I know it, an I ain't makin lies."
Michael says, "How does your partner know? Has he seen it?"
Muldoon strains to see using the light from the window, reloading the slingshot.
Muldoon says, "I's seen dragons too. They exist.""
Michael says, "You did not answer."
Muldoon says, "Would we be heah if he hadn't?"
Michael says, "Perhaps."
Scilly scrunches up his nose and concentrates. He's looking tired, worn out and ready to just fall over but the wizzle witch light again bursts into it's greeny bluey existence as he tries covering the two spells.
Michael says, "Do you know your friend is not the dragon?"
Michael wanders over closer to Scilly.
Scilly scutters backwards, the light fading towards purple again and sputtering some.
Muldoon brandishes the slingshot as he squints, able to see again. "No closer!"
Muldoon says, "Scilly, pull yerself together. I need the light if I'm going t'be able t'get us out of here in one piece.""
Muldoon grins fangily. "I've known Scilly fer days now. And he hasn't turned into a dragon. However, you suh, are very suspicious to me."
Muldoon says, "Dragons is suspicious types of us furs.""
Scilly hits the wall behind him and looks almost defiant, "I'm okay.. really." The greenishness pushes towards yellow suddenly. Scilly's stomach, however, rumbles with hunger.
Muldoon murmurs out the side of his mouth, "What're you doing over there?"
Michael turns to Muldoon, eyes glaring and glowing soflty blue. "Why? What place do you order me? You have theifed into my house. You call me false a dragon, and you now order me? Who is the suspicious one?"
Scilly pipes up, "we didn't call ya no false dragon. We called ya a real one."
Muldoon backs up involuntarily, half-mesmerized by the glowing eyes. "Ah'm suspicious of everything, especially one whose eyes glow like they's not supposed to. Last person whose eyes glows like that.. he hadda dragon at his command, he did!
Michael says, "Now, I command dragons, too? Your story is not straight. You false named me a dragon. I am not."
Michael says, "Do you rob all houses like this?"
Scilly lifts up his chin and says, "You lie on that one. We ain't taken a single thing."
Muldoon says, "We 'aven't. This is my slingshot.""
Michael says, "You can not prove that. You can not prove I am a dragon."
Muldoon grins. "Prove you aint.'
Muldoon quotes from some forgotten book, "The burden of proof is on th' accused."
Michael says, "It will be as you wish, then. I am dragon. Your friend is dragon, too; he cannot prove it not."
Muldoon concentrates in thought. "Two dragons. Gol!"
Scilly elboes Muldoon, "I'm too short ta be a dragon."
Michael turns his back on Muldoon, waggling and waving his fingers, leaving faint bluegreen traces in the air. Soon, he stops and turns back to Muldoon, the traceries fade.
Muldoon heys! "Don't you cast a spell on my partner! He lets fly with the slingshot..
-SPACK!- A grape hits Michael in the back of the head.
Scilly squeaks, "gittit offa me! He's puttin illoooshuns out. Dragon'sre tricky like that." His hands go up and bat at the nose.
Michael makes a peculiar face, half annoyed, half amused, trying to clean the grape off his hair.
Muldoon erks, and reloads, not realizing in his haste he's pulling the ammo out of the wrong pocket. "Ah'm warnin' ya.."
Michael says, "Your associate looks much like a dragon to me."
Michael says, "Can you prove that you are not, as well?"
Muldoon eyes Scilly like he's got two heads. And in a sense, he does. "Ack! Ah'm in the middle of a dragon-dragon war!"
Muldoon grins toothily. "I'm no dragon. Me parents were foxes, like me. If I were a dragon, I wouldn't have took it when me pa whupped the tar out o' me when ah was a kit."
Scilly squeaks and turns to stare at Muldoon. "Help me! It's puttin illooshuns on my head ta fool ya."
Muldoon lets go of the slingshot. *SPACK!* A fine sculpture gets an added fruit feature. Time to bring out the heavy ammunition.
Scilly stops and sniffs the air a little bit. "Grapes?"
Michael says, "My parents were humans. So then, I prove to you I am human, then?"
Muldoon pulls out the pistol. "This here's a jen-u-ein Colt 45." He pauses. "I haven't seen either o' yer parents.."
Muldoon says, "..however, ah've been wi' Scilly fer months, an' he's never turned into a dragon.""
Michael says, "I haven't seen yours."
Muldoon says, "You, however, I've only seen, oh, fifteen minutes. Tops.'"
Scilly looks just confused and watches his buddy. . o O (Smallest horse *I* have ever seen...)
Michael says, "You should go back to your parents. They will give you better words then your friend."
Muldoon's left ear wilts. "Yer confuzin' me."
Muldoon grins. "I can't. A dragon kidnaped me when I was a kid."
Muldoon says, "..that's why I's huntin' them. Ta get home, finally. Me pa's going t'whup me something fierce, but at least ah'll be home.""
Muldoon eyes Scilly. "You sure it's an illusion? You sure looks like a dragon to me.."
Michael says, "So you want another, to take you away again?"
Michael says, "You make no sense."
Scilly says, "Uh huh, that's what illooshuns are supposed ta do. Make ya look like something ya aint. I ain't no dragon, an ya's seen me nuff.""
Muldoon ahas. "So he could be an illusion, makin him look like a..a.. hoo-mahn?"
Muldoon grins brightly. "Me gran said I dind't make much sense either."
Muldoon says, "..but yeah. I wanna go home, and when I got here, was a dragon that got me here. So one cn' get me home, too.""
Scilly nods, the flame of the light going greenish again. He says, "Yup, from the beginnin."
Michael says to Muldoon. "So then, your friend could be an illusion, too? Could not he be illusioned to be a ferret?
Scilly says, "nope. I don' eat like a dragon. They eats lots y'know."
Michael says, "He sure does know a lot about dragons, too."
Muldoon hmms. "I dunno, Scilly. I've seen ya put away quite a lot when you're hungry.. and yer' hungry a lot."
Muldoon shakes his head. "Wait. Why woul'd anyone WANT to illusion themselves as a ferret with a dragon head?"
Scilly puts his chin up and charges, "O'course I do! Dey's legends 'n such. I'm a story-thingy hunter."
Scilly looks apologetic, "I c'nt help bein hungry. I was always tol' it's the short legs. Takes me twice th'food t'keep up wi'you long-leggers."
Michael says, "Maybe, I pulled off his illusion. You did think of that, yes?"
Scilly snorts, "then I'd fillup th'room."
Muldoon snorts. "With a head like that, he'd be a pretty teensy dragon."
Michael says, "All bugs are the same size, yes?"
Muldoon dunnos. "They all make a bigger mess when ya squish them.
Scilly adds, "But the'tiny ones look different, like differnt bugs."
Michael says, "If all people are different sizes, why would dragons be all the same size. Maybe he's a small dragon."
Muldoon holds his wrist with the other hand; his arm is getting tired, holding the gun up.
Scilly says, "I woulda tol' him b'fer now, seein how I've known him fer a long long time already."
Muldoon frowns. "Yah got a point there.. but it was a big big dragon that kidnaped me when ah was fallin' through that stream.."
Michael says, "The dragon that stole you looked like what?"
Muldoon thinks, looking down. "He was as big as a wagon, an' made all of the gold stuff."
Muldoon looks up. "Kinda like that suit yer wearin', only in gold, not green-silver."
Michael says, "If your friend was dragon, and knew you were after one, he would tell you?"
Muldoon nods. "Oh, sure. We's buds, and I've been yammerin' about how I wants to go home since day one."
Michael says, "Your friend is not gold. Maybe they look different, and are different sizes?"
Scilly says, "An if I coul' I'd take him home. I ain't no dragon, an yer lyin. Ya know I ain't no dragon."
Muldoon lets go of his wrist, and looks from Scilly to Michael and back. "If you took his head and put it on your shoulders, and stuck wings on you... I suppose you'd look about right...
Michael says, "I don't know that. You look like one to me."
Muldoon says, "Okay, we can argue about this all night... prove it-- Scilly thinks ya got a hoard behind that door there." He motions towards the door with his gun. "Open it?""
Michael says, "And if I did that to you, you'd look like one too?"
Michael shrugs and wanders over to the door, opening it.
Scilly starts wishing he'd learned how to make illooshuns go away now.
Muldoon nods grimly. "Scilly?"
Michael gestures. "You look, if you want.
Muldoon says, "..check it out. Lemme know if there's a hoard back there.""
Scilly squeaks, "me?"
Scilly says, "what iffin he gits big an swallows ya? I'm stuck in there, Muldy."
Muldoon says, "Don't worry. If he moves funny, I'll shoot 'im.""
Scilly says, "Wi'a horse?"
Muldoon grins toothily. "It's a gun."
Muldoon says, "..just go. Quick."
Michael yawns.
Scilly scitters into the room beyond.
A moment, perhaps two passes and there's nothing but a little muttering and a lot of silence from the other room.
Muldoon says, "Scilly?"
Scilly pokes his head out a moment after Muldoon calls. He tilts it a little.
Muldoon says, "Well? What's th' verdict?:"
Scilly takes a few more chews then around a mouth full of bread he says, "iffs iloos'thun. Arll looos'thun." A swallow and he continues, "tasty too."
Muldoon pauses, lowering the gun part way. "Dragons don't eat bread."
Muldoon thinks . o O { I don't know what they eat, but I know they don't eat bread. You never see a dragon with a buttered roll. }
Michael drums his fingers on the doorway, looking irritated. "You are happy now? You will go home now, yes?"
Muldoon grins a little uneasily. "'Cept I don't gots a home. Dragon kidnaped me away from it, 'member?"
Scilly says, "Proves I ain't a dragon, eh? Can't see hoard, but it don' mean it's not there. Betcha he's put spells all over it like he did ta me.""
Michael says, "Where have you been sleeping?"
Muldoon shakes his head, holstering the gun. "Mostly out in the fields outside o' town."
Muldoon digs in his pocket.
Muldoon digs some more and comes up with a battered copper piece. "Here. S'fer the bread. C'mon, Scilly."
Scilly's light follows, "Sorry Muldy, I couldn' help I wuz hungry. Alla light made me that way."
Michael puts the piece in a pouch he has on his belt. "You wait a moment."
Muldoon pulls a bunch of half-eaten grapes out of his vest pocket. "Here." He hands the bunch to the ferret.
Muldoon says, "Hm? Oh no, we's going t'be on our way now, sorry t'be trouble, mister.""
Scilly pops one or two of them into his mouth then hands it back, "Yer gonna be hungry too. I hadda bread."
Michael goes into the door and comes back out a moment later with a smaller loaf of bread. "Here, you take this. The rains come in not too long. Find a dry place to stay. And find your way home, too."
Muldoon sighs. "Yeah. Well, Scilly's good at ferretin' out barns, too." He waves off the bread at first, but then looks at Scilly and accepts it. "We're really sorry about this." He shakes his head. "I need t'find a dragon afore I can find m'way home."
From far off, there's the distant rumble of thunder.
Michael smiles amiably at the knowledge of the silver pipe he's hidden in the small loaf. Walking over to the door, he opens it.
Scilly shrugs, "barn's better'n nothing. An nothin's what I gots. Nothin an me buddy, t'least. Were ya usin those grapes on th'slingshot?"
Muldoon looks at the ferret. "You still look like a dragon."
Scilly crosses his arms and concentrates really hard. He draws a circle then puts two dots in it for eyes and a line for a mouth. It glows in purple color, fading energy. He puts his face behind it and grumbles, "better?"
Muldoon hehs. 'Right. And I dunno what I was usin' fer ammo. I normally use marbles, but I lost most o' them last week playin shooters for the bag of candy."
Muldoon grumbles, heading out the door. "G'night, mister dragon-person."
Michael waves his hand, returning Scilly's head to normal as they turn to leave.
Michael says, "Please...You don't come bother me again. And you knock next time, too."
Scilly pads out the doorway, muttering, "We'll find out, ya know." To Muldoon.
Muldoon opens his mouth, about to protest the contradiction of that statement, but remains silent.
Michael closes the heavy door with a *thud* after they leave. With a weary sigh, he heads off into the building to sleep after a trying night.
Muldoon turns, looking at the house, before falling into step next to Scilly, shaking his head. "The truth is in there, Scilly, and we're going t'find it."