#;luna

After a few moments of walking, she heard a shuffling and what sounded like animal claws against the cobblestone. Elvira froze, looking around to see what could have possibly made the noise. But, she could only make out the vague shapes of things in the darkness of the alleyway. She took in another deep breath and held out her hand. Imagine holding a ball of light, just like Asra told you.... A weak ball of light formed in her outstretched palm. It illuminated only about a foot of space to either side of her, but it was better than nothing. Emboldened by having a bit more visibility in the darkness, she continued forward. 

The scratching sound followed her down the alleyway as she carefully made her way down to the other side. As she got closer to the building at the end of the walkway, she noticed a glint on it in the moonlight. It had a dark stained wooden door with a crescent moon shaped window, and Elvira recognized it as the shop’s back door. She sighed in relief, knowing that she had finally found refuge from the darkness of the night. However, before she could take another step, a small animal scurried in front of her path, knocking into a crate that had been placed there for refuse outside of the building directly across from her in the alleyway. Elvira whipped around, her magelight shining brighter with the rush of emotions she was experiencing. In the light, she saw the creator of the sounds she had been hearing: a small, black dog, with white speckles going up its legs and chest.  

Stray dogs were not uncommon in Vesuvia. However, this dog was unlike any of the other strays she had seen on her previous trips out of the house with Asra. It was a puppy, and seemed to be hairless. The tiny thing was shivering next to the crate, looking up at the woman before them. Elvira felt a shiver go through her when her eyes met the dog’s, but she blamed the cool night air and pulled her burgundy shawl closer to her body. She shook her head to herself and extinguished her light as she turned back to her shop. Her palm pressed against the wood as she murmured the spell that cancelled the cross-me-not charm she put on the door. Another shiver ran through her as she reached for the door handle, and she was filled with the sudden thought that she was missing something.

The dark haired magician whipped back around, getting the sudden urge to look at the dog once again. When she did, her breath caught in her throat. This puppy, once feebly huddled again the wooden crate, was now sitting at attention in front of her. It was sitting in the direct line of moonlight that had been peeking out from around the corner of the building across from her. Elvira could’ve sworn that it was glowing. She crouched down to be closer to the dog and got a good look at it. 

“Was that you?” She squinted at the dog in the low light. “Were you the one that made me feel like that?” Momentarily, she felt silly for talking to a street dog. But, to her surprise, the dog barked back as if responding to her question.

“... Did you just... answer me?”

The dog barked again and Elvira was taken aback. Why did she know that these two barks were affirmatives? She supposed that Asra could interact with his snake, Faust. Maybe this was kind of the same thing. Did all magicians have this ability?

“So... You’re a stray, huh?” 

Another affirmative bark.

“Yeah, yeah... I guess I am, too, in a way.” She held a hand out to the dog. It sniffed her hand warily, and Elvira was filled with a very quick flash of unease. “Don’t worry, I don’t bite. Although, I probably should be worried that you do.”

The dog barked again at her and she snorted. “No, I suppose you couldn’t do much damage with those little teeth.” She caught herself mid-chuckle, realizing that she was very much having a conversation with a street dog as if she knew what it was saying.

“Okay.... Maybe I’m missing Asra more than I thought...” She shook her head and stood up, turning once again to go to the door. But, she found her feet stuck to the ground. She didn’t want to move. Her brain was telling her feet that they should take a step forward, but they didn’t budge. There was something about this dog that she couldn’t place, but she knew that something about it was calling out to her. Elvira turned back around to find the dog still sitting there.

“You know, I don’t think I could take you in. I’m not sure if I even like dogs, and I certainly don’t know how to take care of one.”

A few more barks.

“I mean, I’ve met street dogs like you. But I’ve never had one. It couldn’t possibly work out. We’re too different, you and I. It could never work.” 

A whimper.

“Well... you’re right... It is a little cool out here. And I’m sure you’re a little lonely.”

Another whimper.

“Yeah... Me too.” She crouched back down and scratched behind the dog’s ears. It seemed to really like that, for Elvira felt a warmth spread through her. “Fine... I guess I could let you come in for the night. Maybe until Asra gets back. I’m sure he’d know what to do with you.” The dog happily wagged its tail and barked, turning around in a little circle. Elvira picked the dog up, squinting at it from all angles. “You don’t look like you have pests or anything.”

The dog barked at her again and she clicked her tongue. “Yeah, I know you don’t have hair. You can still get bugs... Right?” 

A huff.

“I don’t know, either. You do need a bath, though. You smell like garbage.” Tail wagging and tongue panting, the dog was clearly happy to be in her presence. “Look, I don’t know what kind of life you’re gonna have with me... But I’ll do the best I can. You got a name?”

Another huff.

“Hm, no... I guess you wouldn’t, since you’re a stray and all.” She stood up, dog in her arms and looked up at the moon. It was full and bright, and the sight of it filled her with a feeling she couldn’t quite place. “How about I call you... Luna?” The dog barked at her, and she knew it was an affirmative one. Elvira smiled for what it seemed like the first time in a long time. “Great. I like it too. Now, c’mon. Let’s get you into a bath.” She walked toward the shop once more and felt another chill go down her spine. This felt right, like it was meant to be. She picked up the dog once again and looked it in the eyes.

“Luna, I think this is going to be the start of a beautiful friendship.”