Nightingale's Lullaby: Special Chapter

Merel's breath misted the air as he moved quietly from tree to tree, doing his best not to be seen as he carefully made his way to the meeting place Fox had told him about. The request was strange, he'd only met the cyclizar pack a few months back and had barely spoken to them or the 'team' they worked with but apparently that made him perfect for whatever this was. Fox had relayed something about the safety of Coldour and the feral problem, a problem he was only vaguely aware of as something to do with red eyes and spirals, but he couldn't deny he was curious.

The trees finally opened up as he left their shelter and approached the two older 'mons waiting for him in this secluded clearing. Fox he'd met several times already, the smallest of the were-lizards held an air of sneaky authority. The kind that always knew what was happening but was rarely actually seen and evenly more rarely actively took charge. He wasn't entirely sure how the pack or team structure worked but as far as his role in it, she was the one he answered to. Kestrel on the other hand was even more of an unknown, he'd seen her at a distance a few times and knew she worked with the guild but that was about it.

Kestrel eyed him as he moved closer, the lucario's expression unreadable as she studied him for a few quiet moments before turning back to Fox. "This is a dangerous mission, probably the most dangerous the guild has ever undertaken."

"He knows that, I made sure he was fully briefed on the request before bringing him to you." Fox slinked away from the team leader to curl around him, her coy actions slowly inching him forward as she turned to regard Kestrel, "Don't worry so much, I'll be keeping an eye on him and there's no way to trace him back to Team Nightsong. You get your undercover and we get a claw into happenings on this new world. Besides, one worrywart on your team is more than enough."

The lucario snorted at that, hiding a smile as her eyes scanned over him again, "I'll still be introducing him to the guildmaster but it should be a quick enough trip to go unnoticed... As far as I understand it the mission will begin immediately after so you'd better be ready for the long haul."

Merel puffed himself up at that, trying to ignore the circling fox and his own worrying nagging in the back of his mind as he met the leader's eyes, "I'll do my best."

"I'm sure you will..." her eyes softened further at that, an edge of sadness just visible on the fringes as she stepped beside him and patted his helmet, "Whatever happens be careful,...and know the pack will always have a place for you." She continued pass him to the edge of the clearing, shooing Fox off as she made to leave. "When you're ready to go make your own way to the guild HQ."

Fox watched the lucario leave, her own expression blank as she settled on his other side and brushed her tails against him. "It'll be fine, she'll see." the were-lizard twisted with that statement, curling around him one more time, "But if anything does happen just remember this spot."

"R-right" the pawniard fusion shivered as her snout moved beside his fuzzy tuft of an ear, her fangs bared in a quiet rumble of growl he hadn't noticed before.

"Either way I'll be watching..." and with that she was gone, leaving him alone again with only the moon peaking down between the winter bare trees.