[Fish]

It's been a week...
A whole week since the burning of that place, the screams of his brothers and sisters melting, of the cracking and crunching of that man-made shelter. Every night he relives that moment, and every moment he wakes up hot and afraid, as if he was still there. He tried to forget that night. ...But how could he? This distress had caused his own natural flames to soften to the point of them being unnoticed, and which were normally cool to the touch, burn harshly against his spine.
Keic shook his singed, blacken fur, and stopped walking to touch his cracked bell. There was only a small piece of the scroll connected to the bell left, the rest had burned away. At least now he knew that he was worthless, that no human would bother wanting him for anything. He flattened his ears, but not for sadness. No. He was in fact intrigued about the beings who had taken him and his family earlier. Envious of the strength, the intelligence, and the gifts the human have. He wanted that... To be able to become human.

...If only.

Time passed, as the burned rat walked on in the hot sun. By the time the sun got closer to setting, he had stumbled upon a herd of humans and more shelters like the one that burned down, but still different.
They all hurried by. Not paying any notice to him watching in awe; but the ones who did notice him, made sure to avoid him with a look of disgust.
To be able to have that power they have. He chattered to himself.

#001

[Moofius]

Another hot day in the desert. It wasn't too great a place to be, but then her old, discarded form was that of an ocean dweller. But things were cooling down now (thank the gods for the sun that set and the moon that rose) and Sori took it upon herself to walk. Perhaps she would look for some rare desert herbs. They were hard to find in more... civilized society. They had to travel so far and pass through so many towns that by the time they reached her they were the worst of the worse or near non-existent.

So this witch, being a brave and bold explorer- Okay she wasn't brave or bold. She just wanted the best ingredients for her spells, her incantations. They brought her here, of all places.

Oddly enough her dark skin tone seemed to make her less susceptible to burning, though the exotically dark skin and burning blue eyes also warranted unwanted male attention. Or it had until she had made it very very clear that she wanted no part in those kind of relations.

Sori Lionel was the type of girl who loathed most living beings. She lived for her things and for her own knowledge, not for human (or other creature) interactions. The only time she subjected herself to these lesser beings was to make a quick buck or to obtain something of value. Of course to do all these things she needed to be aware of the things people did around her. She couldn't get things from others if she didn't realize they existed, right?

This keen regard for things around her brought the hydrolisk's attention to a rather pathetic, burnt specimen of the rattegan variety.
"Were you out in the sun too long?" she purred, her voice smooth and not exactly kind. Why hadn't anyone grabbed this fellow and taken his bell (she'd heard the still musical (if slightly off key)sound, which had grabbed her interest)? Seems as if he'd broken the only thing he had of value.

[Fish]

He knew the question was directed at him, but of who the speaker was didn't cross his mind.
Keic didn't bother looking for the speaker, instead he stopped in his tracks, perched on his hind legs and gazed at a few more humans before flicking an ear and rubbing his face.
You can say that. He breathed through his paws. More like he got in a fight with the sun and loss. ...Why would it matter. He added quietly. He didn't think his looks mattered truthfully. More like size, but... He finally turned to see who the speaker was.
It was a dark human. He gawked widely at the human. She was not the same as the others. No she was far different than any human he has seen (though he's rarely seen many humans). Was she human? It could be possible that she wasn't. Keic had never seen such a dark version of one so far.
Hu... man… He muttered. Everything about this one seemed strange and made his nose twitch with curiosity. Still, he envied the being, whether human or not, she-it still looked like one (though with a tweak in appearance) and to even have that was a gift.

...I didn't know humans could talk. He continued to mutter, mostly to distract himself form that growing envy.

#002

[Moofius]

What a boring little critter. It gawked just like everyone else.
"Well it would matter for the bell on your tail," the woman laughed, tucking back a strand of hair. It was a cruel laugh as she wasn't one to hide how she felt.

"Humans are said to have created speech, being of a higher mentality though I think that's ridiculous," she may be of human form but she was loyal to her species, "We hydrolisk are very intelligent and spoke long before humans did. Or language just was not a kind the humans could easily replicate, and so they decided we could not speak. Typical."

This statement earned the sorceress a few angry glares, but none would attack her for fear of being cursed.
"As for you being burnt it does not concern me in the slightest, but you do not seem to be attending to any burns you may have so I assumed that perhaps you were not aware of your injuries. Stranger things have happened and your kind is not generally known for its intelligence."

Again the human, once beast laughed. Perhaps that in itself explained her bluntness and her quick tongue. She was not naturally of human decent and grew up entirely different. Human customs of pleasantries and manners were bizarre, alien and most importantly, pointless. Why be nice to somebody you didn't like? If you were nice they would only hang around and make you miserable.

[Fish]

He touched the bell on the end of his tail. The crack wasn't fairly large or deep, but it was still noticeable. Besides, it wasn't as if the bell was broken—though the scroll on the other hand was beyond repair. He was more than sure it still worked... Well... He wouldn't say worked. It's not like it did anything useful in the first place. In fact, it was useless to him. So useless that he hated the thing. Always acting as a weight to his tail and made him drag it, like a “dog with it’s tail between it’s legs”. That's all it did. The useless thing!
...
Humans didn't do that from what he could see. Granted they don’t have a tail, but from the way they acted.
He blinked, and rubbed his eyes. His vision had gotten worse or maybe he still had ash in his eyes.
And... They created speech? They seemed greater every second.
So... You're not of them? You're a... Hydrolisk. Keic had never heard of them, but refused to voice that. Maybe they were a cousin of the humans since they shared the same appearance. He rubbed his eyes again to see if maybe it was his vision playing tricks on him. It wasn't. But you look so much like them. He said aloud, not really meaning too, and ignored her response about his fur. He was fine. Perfectly fine. Sure his paws and tail stung a bit, but other than that, he was fine. His fur was singed, but it was FUR. That's it. As for his vision, it could just be from him getting older. It was a common thing to happen with age. He knew that.

#003

[Moofius]

She grinned, showing off her pearly whites. She still had sharp, pointed teeth. If she'd been more of a hydrolisk she probably would have eaten the keetar. But, thankfully for him (and anybody watching) she had grown to love being a slightly more picky eater then she had been (anything that moved was not always food).

"Hydrolisk are sea creatures, much like crocodiles or alligators, but our tails have large fins. I shed that form years ago."
She still loved what she was, species wise, but to further her treasure collection and to further her magical abilities she'd lost what she was. Though not completely. The fangs and her dark skin were a testimony to that as were the bright green markins under her eyes, along her arms and legs and her back.
"You do not get out much, do you little keetar?"

While Sori spoke to the broken looking creature she was acessing the bell. Not the best quality, he'd gone and cracked it, but perhaps she could use if for something. Now, how to get the creature to give it up? She loved treasure, more then anything, but she would not become a thief to obtain it. If her customers were theives, well, that was a whole other story. But for now the only way to get the bell was to have him give it to her.

[Fish]

He didn't voice out the fact that he had no clue what an alligator or crocodile was, but he did recognize what fins and a human (obviously) look like: So the image that came to mind was of something of a human with a tail that had a big fin... Or close to that.
He laughed a bit which sounded a bit like high-pitched squeaking before he responded to the rest of the others words. I see~ So you can shed your form. Like changing to a thicker coat for winter, right? He was proud of himself for coming up with a similarity. And yeah... I stayed home where it was familiar and safer. His tail flicked behind, cause the bell to flip as well and bounce back down. There's so many different things to see. He mentioned, I almost regret not seeing them earlier... Uh… Keic noticed the other examining his bell. He could sense it, since well... That's mostly what people look at anyway.
He chuckled again but more softly. It's broken. He patted his bell with his front paw, so that she knew he was talking about it. Which means it's worthless... I'm worthless. He didn't feel worthless, but that's apparently what everyone else thinks.

#004

[Moofius]

"Yes, a little," She swayed back on her feet. They were still strange to her, these feet. She was prone to falling over when tired, but she wasn't tired and being at least a little more familiar with bipedal movement then some others, she had a great sense of balance.

"Though I will never obtain my old form, that is the price I paid to be as I am now. As for your jewel," she bent down to his level, tapping the bell with one finger. She was, again, no good with personal spaces.
"I am... interested. I do not think it is worthless. In fact, in this state it is perfect."

This rattegan wasn't in the best mental health, he didn't think highly of himself. Maybe it was because the bell was cracked. Maybe he was just naturally like that. Whatever the reason Sori planned to take advantage of this creatures unhappiness to get that bell.

Sori was not the nicest thing running around Evelon. But she didn't show that, she just smiled kindly at him, "perhaps I can get you something you want and I can get what I want from you,"

[Fish]

Keic watched her sway. She seemed uncomfortable to him. Never have it back... He began before watching her finger tap against his bell.
Keic shrunk back. It was a habit of his, even though he was bigger than normal rodents, but still had most habits they do. Though he knew he could stand his own if it came to it. Maybe not win, but to be able to stand his own ground was good enough. He stared at the woman, Perfect? More and more his curiosity grew. The fact that she thought so about it even with a crack like that made him wonder: And what about her tale of how she got a 'human form'... If you could call it tale: More like a short explanation.
Then he heard the deal she offered. A... trade. He responded, basically naming the offer. You want to trade with me? He pondered upon that thought slowly. It sounded nice... but vague, It could possibly be a trap or something close that would trick him into giving her his bell with nothing in return like she said. But... It's not like he would grieve the disappearance of the thing. It was just a tail weight to him. Still... What could he possibly want in return? His mind churned to think of something. You could almost hear the hamster running on the wheel.
Keic finally started to notice the stares of the humans around them. He shifted uncomfortably on his paws and flattened his ears. Your offer sounds...[i] He ran his small tongue over the backs of his only teeth. [i]Nice and all, but how can I trust that'd I even get something in return? He shifted again. He didn't like the thought of being stared at constantly. (Which was hypocritical since he does it all the time to others.) Mind if we go somewhere less crowded?

#005

[Moofius]

The sorceress shrugged her dark shoulders, holding her hands out palms facing upward. The palms of her hands were bizarre and noticeably so. Instead of being completely pink (like in other dark skinned humans) the palms were completely black, like the rest of her skin. She also, strangely enough, had webbed fingers. They weren't very noticeable, just a sliber of thin, green skin between her fingers. They didin't even reach up halfway to the first knuckle on her fingers. The bit of skin was most noticeable between her thumbs and undex fingers.

"I won't lie to you, I have no proof that I'd keep my end of the promise. If there is something you want then you may follow me. I have a tent you may visit if you so decide to. It is truly up to you,"
She was smiling as always but then her smile was gone as she turned and walked away. Sori moved gracefully through the crowd until she found a less populated street which she followed out of the small settlement. Not to far off was a tent. It stood out against the glaringly white sand (turning yellows, oranges and reds in the setting sun) as a green kamo affair. She'd gotten it earlier on in her travels when things had been lush and green.

She didn't look back to check for the rattegan; only walked quietly to her tent. Maybe she would get her herbs tomorrow...

[Fish]

They were no guarantees, and the whole thing still sounded... fishy to him.
But why was it when she started to walk away, he followed? Maybe it was because he didn't have anything else to lose. Sure his bell was... No! He didn't care for it.
Keic shuffled under the legs of the people, trying his best not to get stepped on. He kept a distance between him and the other, so that if she did look back he wouldn't be seen (or at least he hoped), but it was still small enough for him to be able to follow her. But when she left the streets and out into the vast sand, he hesitated. Surely he would be spotted, what with no more buildings or people to hide behind, so he had to know that he was sure he wanted to follow after her. ..I... He briefly looked back at the streets and everything else and then at his small paws. There was nothing else: He lost it all in that fire a while back. And now, he had a chance (even if there was a possibility it wouldn't go through) to finally change things.
He braced himself as he stepped forward and towards the tent. There was no going back... Well... He still could make a run for it. He was pretty sure the girl wouldn't chase after him since she said it was his choice.

#006

[Moofius]

By the time the rattegan had caught up Sori was settled on a overly stuffed pillow. It was shades of blue and.. orange. The whole tent was... a lot of crazy. Swaths of coloured fabric to be found everywhere inside. There were shelves that hung from the ceiling from string, the flat surfaces, the actual shelves, were made of thick cloth. Each shelf a different colour. On them were bottles and boxes and bundles of... things. All sorts of things. Eyes, leaves, small creatures with pointy things.

There was an eerie blue glow now tossed against the uneven surfaces when Sori blew on a small, non descriptive dusty yellow stone. With delicately long fingers the stone was placed on the pillow before her.

"Pull up a pillow," she said, gesturing to a pile of pillows off to the side, reserved for guests and used as her bed.
"So, rattegan, is there anything that you may want? ... All I have seen of you is that you are bitter and you are jealous of humans," she was blunt and to the point.

[Fish]

The place, in a fascinating way, was breath-taking to the small rodent. Never before has he seen so many colors and… stuff in general. He twisted his head this way and that just so that he could look at everything around him. He had the urge to touch everything… or at least to search about it all, as a wave of curiosity hit him hard on his singed furry head. And if it wasn’t for the last part of her sentence he probably wouldn’t have heard a thing.
I… He knew he was jealous of the humans, but he never thought he was bitter. I’m not bitter… He flattened his ears and thought of moving onto a pillow like Sori. But the colorful surroundings, though extremely distracting, hurt Keic’s already poor eyesight. So he decided that it was better where he stood instead of risking more eye trouble if he got closer to the color. But as he stood there now on his hind paws, he wondered what it was he would want. Anything? Is there any restrictions? There was one thing that he knew he wanted.

#007

[Moofius]

"Of course you're bitter," Sori said with a grin that looked like she was about ready to eat him. The sharp teeth and sharp eyes were not comforting. Her eyes shut gently as she chuckled.
"You're bitter because they have everything you've ever wanted. You see them as having amazing, fantastic lives where you're just a rodent, a useless, burned rodent... Am I right?"

There wasn't much time to answer as she turned away from him, pulling thrings from the shelves; the action seemingly random.
"There are always limitations but only in the ability of the person. I cannot make you a god but I can do many things. If you ask I can tell you if I can. Simple, really."
In her lap she now had... a sharp knife with a decorative navy blue handle and what appeared to be stars. They twinkled and shined along with the blade; a wicked curved affair. She also had herbs and sort of orange mulch. What was she getting those scary things for?
Well she wasn't attacking the rodent (whose name she did not know); calmly sitting there with these things.
Well she did want his bell... which was attached to his tail...
"So... what do you want for that bell of yours? Anything... Think big."

[Fish]

He didn’t respond back to her question about her being right. Sure he still didn’t believe so, but what she did say was true… Then she turned away from, without even much of a time to respond back. With his beady eyes, he watched the former Hydrolisk search the shelves of fabric. Then there was a knife in her lap. It was a foreign object at first to him, since he couldn’t recall what that thing was as well as to what it was for. But then as if a small light bulb over his head clicked on, he remembered. Back at that place, the humans who had taken him in used to have one. Though he never saw what they used it for (and a lot of his brother and sisters used to shrink back when the object appeared). What was it called? A… knife. He remembered now. They called the thing a knife. His nose twitched again as he fought over the new wave of curiosity to go over and see the thing much closer.
I’m not really sure what you mean about the limitations… Keic said the “I’m” so quite it was as if it wasn’t even said. But I don’t want to be a god… whatever… a god is.
Think big she said had said, and he wondered if she already knew what he was going to ask. I do want… In exchange for my bell, he shoved the object closer to her, which rolled in a quarter circle since it was still attached to his tail, Is to be human. The word human rolled out of his furry muzzle as if he sang it.
Can I ask what the knife is for? He cocked his head to the left. As for the orange stuff, he thought it was for his wish, like it would be used like pixie dust.

#008