Akicheka had been in waiting for far too long- Hunkered in the swamp and the room of stars, in which he spent his time honing his abilities. He had learned many new tricks, but the practice had gotten repetitive- Boring, even.




It was for this reason that he had abandoned his makeshift camp in Orion, heading northward through the tunnels to get to Leo. That was the first time he got a good look at the spire in Polaris. Gemini was not as fun, with its familiar fungal infection. Thankfully, he seemed to have escaped unharmed, if you ignored his lame leg being rubbed down to the flesh. The pain was nearly constant, but if he wanted to make any speed during his travels, he had to let it drag, and so he did.




In the present time, he was peering around a rocky corner, heat rising from his pelt as his tongue lolled, a small relief. It seemed to be a cave of some sort, with a figure moving inside. He didn't dare step past the threshold, instead making his presence known with a small, choked cough.

The clank, clank of a hammer on an anvil wasn't overbearing. It was a quieter sort of work, as though a piece of smaller jewelry or the like were being adjusted rather than a massive weapon being hammered into place. The figure within was heavily focused on his task, head tilted, the horns visible above his head as he worked.

The cough, of course, paused that little hammer midair, and he glanced up. "Oh." His voice was polite, surprised, even soft. The hammer was gently set aside, hands dusted off, and whatever he'd been working on delicately set away. "Please, come in. I'm the Blacksmith--were you looking for me, or just exploring?" he asked.

@Akicheka

Aki watched the figure approach with a stranger, uncharacteristic laxness- As if they weren’t threatening in the slightest. Most weren’t, after all. “Exploring.” He replied to the figures' question, stepping into the cavern like they had said.



“What do you do, Blacksmith? What is that pounding tool for?” Akicheka asked, as he trotted closer to what was seemingly a workstation. It was humbles and jumbles of stuff that he didn't bother making out. “Do you know a place to rest?” He added, hobbling his wounded leg beneath him. “I’m a little sore.”.



Very lazy, no inspo
@Game Master Dark

The Blacksmith studied the little stranger (well, comparatively) for a moment, sympathy informing his tone. "Of course. Come, lay here," he offered, turning and pulling a thick leather apron from a shelf. This he folded over once, to form a comfortable mat for the hyena. He could see the gemstone at Akicheka's knee, and he knew how taxing travel must be.

"The hammer is for my work. I create," he explained. "-Would you like some tea?" Already he was bustling, likely preparing some for himself; but he held up a second cup, questioningly, before going back to his explanation. "I create armor, tools and such for those here in the caves. Some of it magical." He left out 'weapons,' pensively. They could be works of art, and truly beautiful, but... what was done with them was rarely so.

@Akicheka