The night had been spent in the woods, as many days before.
The fire which had been used to cook the day's supper now stood with only the faintest of embers, leaving it's owner to slumber within the comfortable confines of the furred bedroll. Even within the cover of night, the stray beams of moonlight which filtered through the trees caught upon movement; A lone cloaked form drew ever nearer, keeping still from time to time when the large sleeping form would stir. Quiet footsteps brought the thief ever closer, until the quarry had been discovered- A lone pack, pressed against one of the nearby logs. Working with deft fingers, the metal buckle was pried free, and the contents within rifled about for any precious items worth a few coin.

So engrossed was the cloaked thief in their prize, they never realized the warning signs until it was too late- A low, resonating growl echoed behind the would-be cutpurse, bringing him to whirl around with dagger in hand. What he could see with the errant moonlight drew his eyes to widen. Thick, bare furred legs stood within his sight, midnight fur cast with a silver silhouette greeted him, causing his eyes to slowly raise ever upwards. Thick calves met with powerful thighs, the loincloth offering only the most simplistic of modesty. Where hips met torso, his eyes would raise ever further, canting his head towards the sky to meet the golden gaze which looked down upon him from high above.

Fear wracked the thief as the dagger fell from shaking fingers, and in a flurry of movement he spun, launching himself over the log, hoping to put as much distance between himself and this monster he had encountered. Three strides past the log, The heavy steps of the massive creature was heard, before a weight settled upon him with such force he was tumbled forward, his face meeting with the ground with a bounce as twigs and earth scratched at his face. He scrambled to rise up, but two heavy thumps later, that weight had returned, pinning him to the ground; Stuck on his hands and knees, he looked over his shoulder, and felt the blood drain from his face.

The creature loomed over him, one foot lifted to press over the entirety of his back; Clawed toes curled along those shoulders, and that golden gaze looked upon from high with a narrowed gaze. Even in the temperate nighttime weather, the thief could not help but shudder at the sight. As thoughts of his impending mauling ran through his mind, the half-growled words from the beast filled his ears.

"Stealing? From this one? No, little one; You have sought to steal Derrajii's possessions, but now your life is his."

The weight shifted from his back, offering a much-needed relief to the strain upon his limbs. Before he could even attempt to run again, the sound of air displaced caught his ears, and pain exploded upon the side of his skull. As his vision began to fade, and consciousness relinquished itself to oblivion, that voice called out once more.

"This one will make you regret ever stealing from a cathay raht; Of that, he promises."

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