☠THIS IS WHAT I SHOULDN'T BE☠ The jaguar snorted as thunder crashed overhead, red eye looking up to the angry grey sky beyond the trees and stone buildings. He was just trying to find the forge, and several people knew it existed but couldn't place where it was. And his investigation led him to the furthest walls of the castle. Melachi was beginning to think there wasn't a forge.

And then, as wind and rain pelted down, dampening his fur but keeping his forge tools dry within the leather pouch strapped to his chest, the lost prince found a doorway. Well, it was a way to get out of the rain. As he entered it, finding the hallway down to be only slightly lit for about half the walk, he started his descent. And he halted, hearing whispers he'd heard all too often. Giving them a moment to speak, they softened to silence and he kept going.

At the end of the darkened hallway, a room opened up, and though it was dreadfully dark, his eyes had adjusted just enough. And the slow run of lava, cool enough to appear black-ashed on the surface, illuminated the basin and water containers. And the anvil. And the pile of old metal in the corner. "By gods..." He breathed. The forge.


He found it hard to hide the smile he wore, finding something he found solitude and serenity in made him so happy. Dropping his bag on the floor, he almost ran toward the hallway, to grab a torch. He was so used to the dark that the sudden torchlight blinded him, and he stumbled until he bumped into something. Or someone. "Shit, I'm sorry."  [abbr=Mutated Black Panther, Male, 2 years 5 months, Loner]☠THIS IS WHAT I WANT TO BE!☠