[Jaykobell]

He watched for a little while. After staring at nothing, hearing only the wind, and seeing not a shape moving, he wondered if he'd imagined it. He wondered if his mind had willed something to appear, something worthwhile to fall onto his lap. He truly did hate this sort of commission. A clear goal also invited the job to get done quickly.

But now, in this case, he had to roam around aimlessly looking for something he was "supposed" to know was the prize. He couldn't read people's minds. He couldn't guess what they wanted from him: that was why he insisted they give him clear instructions.

[Jaykobell]

Was that really so much to ask?

While he was having this inner monologue — more like a rant, though, honestly — something finally moved again. And this time, he was ready.

He was shocked to find out he hadn't made up something.

Suddenly, right there in the open, a Fenling sprinted away from behind a large rock. The orbs in their tails shone an eerie, disturbing white color, a sharp and sickening contrast to the pitch-black fur that burst into a dark purple. It was a color he'd never seen before now, or a color he had even ever heard of.

[Jaykobell]

Was this what his client wanted? Was this what Blaine had been sent to catch and bring back?

"You'll know when you see it."

He hated to admit it, but maybe, despite the unclear instructions, his regular had known all along. Maybe he truly had known that there was no way Blaine would've missed something like this: something like this Fenling, a creature that looked to be almost like one-of-a-kind.

Were there others out there like this one? Were there only Fenlings with this coat variation? Or were there more pets who shared this color, this unsettling presence that the fox radiated?

[Jaykobell]

There was no doubt in his mind that this had to be the goal. He had to catch up to this Fenling and catch them. He had to bring them back. Whether or not they were a one-of-a-kind, what mattered was that bringing them back could only be a positive thing for his regular. Either they had ended up discovering a new species, or his client would end up with a special, unique animal companion.

One way or another, his determination was renewed with a clear goal in sight. And now with a prize at the end of the line, he made a dash for it, to try and catch up to the Fenling.

[Jaykobell]

Working in daylight helped keep track of the animal. The black pelt really stood out like a sore thumb against the sun-dried, cracked earth and the bright light of day. All he had to do was follow the dark shape that moved along the plains. Even though there was still a certain distance between them, as long as he didn't lose sight of this Fenling, he was confident he would be able to catch them.

But the confidence started to fade when he saw the Fenling, without a single shred of hesitation, jump down over the edge of the canyon.

[Wild Pet Found]