A Deal With The Devil

Waves of heat made Lupa’s vision flicker like ripples in a great ocean of air. The effect was mesmerizing. The female was equally as mesmerizing, completely out of place and yet it was as she belonged here, a complete contradiction that fascinated him. As his companion spoke, Lupa watched the she-wolf. Her lavender irises sparkled in the light of the molten rock like the most polished of gems. They had a slight hypnotic effect that beckoned him, but much like the siren songs of old stories he knew that letting his guard down could result in disaster. Lupa glanced around taking in the wonder this place brought with it. The liquid fire hissed and crackled as though it were alive. Lupa longed to explore every crevasse no matter what danger lurked in each corner. Bringing his attention back to the two women he made a mental-note of how they both sized each other up. Either plucking at one another, looking for weaknesses. That was how most of these encounters went. It could either result in a new friend or a new enemy. He really didn’t care much either way. Lupa preferred to watch and learn as much as he could before speaking. So, he let Nox do most of the talking which was fine because he knew just how much she liked to talk.

One could learn a lot about an opponent by observing ticks, habits, and weighing their overall mood. Using that method, one could determine whether they had any underlying weaknesses, tendencies, or something to hide. These things could be the determining factor If a fight broke out. After watching the two ladies converse for some time, Nox introduced herself which she then prompted him to do so as well. He turned his attention to the siren upon her rocky perch. “I’m Lupa.” He said with a subtle tilt of his snout. Gruff undertones like sandpaper in the back of his throat. He briefly unpacked bits of information from the quite-time he spent observing. “I’m quite enjoying this land so far. Nothing is the same, no land mirroring another. I find this place especially interesting.” He remarked, refamiliarizing himself with the surroundings as he spoke. “I quite fancy the heat,” Lupa commented, firmly pressing his pads into the stone and savoring its warmth. After that, he appeared to have no more to say, simply returning to his observant state unless called upon.