Impunity

The hybrid was growing old, he knew, but he still bore himself with a regal arrogance. Head and tail rose above his spine as he padded along the trail, ruby eyes scanning the land ahead as though he owned it. Despite the late Spring weather further south, here it was relatively cool and snowy.

Perfect for his thick black coat. His muzzle was lightly sprinkled with white hairs, now, but he’d taken care of himself and knew what plants to consume for his aches after a few healers he’d enjoyed as toys for a while. A sly smile curled along his lips at the memories before he paused to sniff at a young tree.

His blood-red eyes shifted away from it and he paused at the sight of a hulking, unnatural shape. A ship. Ice-locked for who knew how long and left behind by its maker.  Curiosity drew him closer, and he prowled along the base of the thing, taking in the scents. A snort left him at the scents of several others, riddled with the stink of old blood and flesh.

As he came across the plank that led up to the deck he surveyed the land around him, before mounting the plank with impunity and traipsing onto the deck. He explored the area for several minutes before approaching the mouth to the interior, sniffing along the edge for further clues.

One canine glinted as his jowl lifted in a slight grin. Shifting to angle along side the entry, he cocked a leg, letting a ready stream pitter to the ground, angling in just such a way to send it arcing further inside before he turned away and raked his claws, hind and front, through the snow and ice on the deck, kicking both into the corridor before he strode away across the deck with an arrogant flick of his tail and padded down the gangplank to continue his explorations of the surroundings.

Now and then, he left a golden mark in the snow. Eventually, he found a point where a tree had been brought down by a hard wind, leaving the base of the trunk off the ground. He stretched and slipped into the sheltered void there, flopping and leaning against the roots, in his customary kingly fashion. For now, he’d rest, and consider where he might go next.