Snippet #2749424

The Demon returned his gaze to the group, specifically, Linde, before looking back at Quinn.

"... Nothing." He said flatly.

He looked back at her as if he wanted to say something more, but refrained from doing so. Instead he looked back to Quinn.

"She taught you and the others that motion, I take it." He said.

"It's good to know at least one of you is intent on making it second nature." He said, this time with a bit more obvious disdain for those not following Quinn's example.

He heard the shriek of a raptor above and looked up through the trees at the moon, trying to find the silhouette of the creature responsible. But he saw none.

"In the meantime, Marcel's blade is complete. I will return it to him soon once I have tended to some other business. You may tell him of this come the morning." He said.

He started turning to leave, but something caught his eye. And... just like that, his entire countenance shifted.

The once permanent smolder in his gaze faded and gave way to an almost innocent curiosity, and he crouched down to look at something almost perfectly camouflaged in the leaves at the base of a nearby tree.

The demon hopped forward a bit, using one fist planted on the ground as a support, and leaned down closer to inspect the curious little creature hidden within.

It was a leaf-mantis. Very well camouflaged against the fallen leaves at the tree base, it was swaying gently with the breeze waiting for an unsuspecting insect to pass its grip. And it just so happened that such a feat would soon take place, as a beetle began walking directly towards it.

The Demon's gaze shifted to the beetle, then to the mantis. Back to the beetle. Back to the mantis. Back and forth, back and forth. Like a child watching in awe a game of tug a war between two perfectly matched combatants. But as the beetle drew too close, the mantis snatched it up in the blink of an eye and began munching on its soft underbelly.

In the moment the mantis snatched its victim, the Demon flinched back ever so slightly... clearly not expecting the attack to come to rapidly and violently for an insect.

He leaned down even closer to examine the spectacle, his mouth ever so slightly agape and making a soft, elongated, and breathy "huh" sound in questioning of the event taking place before him.

"That was interesting." He muttered softly.