lest there be monsters

The quiet of the falling night was peppered with the soft crackling of leaves and twigs and underbrush as the two found their way closer to their discovered company, each still a tad wary but easing up as amicable words and manners warmed the darkness. Nagendra stopped, shifting his weight to one side for comfort. His ears pricked as the female introduced herself. ”Destruction?” he piped with sudden recognition and inquisitiveness, his body straightening. ”You wouldn’t happen to know anyone named Rhythm, would you?” Surely this was a relative of hers; Destruction wasn’t a common name, as far as he knew, so strange to him as it was. And, how come the ones he’d met so far were sweet-dispositioned women? How did such a name ever even get bestowed upon such a line? He smirked to himself, a soft exhale escaping his nostrils in amusement.

Perhaps (going on the firm assumption that she was family to Rhythm) in Nagendra’s absence, Rhythm had brought more family to the pack. That would be nice. Maybe in that case, he could have someone to find his way home with, amongst all the daunting shapes of the forest.