One dull, fel green eye lazily tracked the sun's path across the midday sky. Its owner sat with her palms up on the bench she occupied, legs haphazardly stretched out in front of her. She sighed.
Most other weeks Khasra would have been occupied at this time. Granted, it would be with the most esoteric duty her former employer had given her, but still, it was better than sitting on a bench in Silvermoon, injured and wearing a set of armor that didn't suit her (in her opinion) at all. Granted, it was something she had earned, but after years of blending in, it chafed at her mentally exactly as it did not chafe physically; it was quite comfortable.
Idly, she wondered who would be the new part-time caretaker on the Sunchaser estate, watching over a crazy old woman, tidying alongside some servant or another, and carefully listening at the door every time her daughter came to visit. Or maybe Vaires Sunchaser had stopped being interesting enough to report on.
Khasra pulled one knee towards herself and sighed irritably, wondering again why Mayong had simply cut her loose after securing his long sought-after trade deals with the Consortium. For years there had always been -something- he needed that she could get, whether it was information, trinkets, or occasionally bodies (live or dead). It wasn't as if she had a track record of failures following her around. A certain pride came with all of her successes.
She thought he needed her. Now she knew she needed him, and the back of her mind itched at her to tell her it was probably in more ways than one. He had disappeared, though. None of their previous meeting spots had any sign the 'magister' had ever been there. Some even had new tenants already, and none of the descriptions of who had sold the properties even came close to Mayong's. Then again, she knew he had a knack for changing his appearance, so it meant absolutely nothing.
Her mental whining droning came to an abrupt end as a small raptor rocketed from the ground, hit her in the stomach, and dropped to her crotch. It let out a squawk of excitement as she hissed in both pain and annoyance.
Khasra reached for one of the swords beside her and instead of stabbing the hatchling, quickly pointed it behind her. The point came to a soft, muffled clink as it impacted chain beneath cloth. "Cousin."
"How could you possibly know that was mine?"
Khasra turned her head slightly so her good eye caught the pattern on the tabard and withdrew her sword, placing it back on the bench beside her next to its twin. "There are two people I know who collect strays. One does not wear metal armor, Luzaf. What is this thing anyway?" She stared down at it as it let out little chirrups of.....satisfaction?
"Found some Zandalari beating on the thing and killed them. Who beats a creature that tiny?" His voice carried an undercurrent, but Khasra couldn't catch why.
Without invitation, the male blood elf slid around the bench to the other side of her swords, picked up her immobile hand with a smile, and placed it on her thigh next to the hatchling, which he had his eyes on. "Better question is why they make such tiny head armor. Surely they don't stay this size very long."
"You're the one who knows animals. Especially lizards." She closed her good eye, attention wavering from the conversation, and began turning her head away from him.
Luzaf twitched his ponytail back, the thick curls very nearly not cooperating. He gently grabbed her by the chin and pulled her head back. "Who did that?" The smile had evaporated from his face as he studied the eyepatch.
Khasra swatted his hand away. "Mind your own business or you'll have one of your own."
"For that matter why are you even in the city? And what are you wearing?"
"Because I missed the scenery. And I could ask you the same. If you're playing tag with Zandalari shouldn't you be wearing Sunreaver colors or something? For that matter, why do you care?"
Frustration allowed a little color onto his well-tanned cheeks. "Well if we're playing 'None of your business', fine. I know something's wrong with you though. You know I'll help if I can."
She knew that tone. "Just drop it. Deal with your business. I'll deal with mine." Without another word, she rose with her swords in hand and began to walk away; the raptor bounced back to the ground with an indignant squawk.
"Except you have no business." his voice drifted softly to her.
Khasra paused for the slightest of moments in surprise and anger, then kept walking.
To nowhere.
