The sky was black and scattered with various stars, pale beside the silver sliver of the moon, hanging like some malformed fingernail against the inkiness of the night. The night was by no means quiet, instead filled with the rattling and mumbling of various parties as the inhabitants of the little streets sauntered drunkenly from pub to pub. The streets were stained and stinking with alcohol.

"Could go for a bit of the drink myself,"Casu chortled quietly from his perch, watching a pair of imbibed fools totter all over themselves, spilling beer down their fronts before finally giving up and chucking their glasses at the street. They hobbled toward the walkway, clinging to eachother in attempt to keep upright. Casu soaked it all in, grinning toothily from the rooftops.

The door of one of the many pubs swung open, and a couple wobbled out, grasping at eachothers arms. Drunk as well, it seemed. Casu stirred, inching down the shingles and squinting his eyes at the pair. He licked his lips again, long, yellow tongue raking over his teeth.

"That's them then," he muttered. Turning, he scrambled back up the roof, clawed feet gripping it with expert precision. He scrambled toward the very peak and crouched there. Watching.

The couple moved down the street, swaying as they walked. Casu could smell their drunkiness from the rooftops. They stumbled across the street, toward him, and started toward another pub. Casu flexed his wings, tapping his foot-claws against the shinkles, and with a mighty flap lifted off the roof and took to the air. Not too high, he kept a wary eye on the moving pair below him, but just high enough to blend himself with the darkness of the horzion.

The couple turned again, and the pub was insight. They giggled amorouslly and flopped against a building, inching there way along with that as a crutch.

Casu dropped a few feet, stretching out his legs. Bird-like claws pinched the air. Practice.

Not ten feet from the pub entrance now. The man turned the woman, falling clumsily against her. He planted a sloppy kiss of her mouth, and she giggled, kissing messily back.

Casu dropped the last few feet. His talons curled around the man's head. He jerked backward, yelling incompresensively. Casu gave a maight flap of his wings and lifted off. The man, being both too heavy and not properly gripped, could not lift off with him. Casu twisted himself mid-flap and with an ugly crunch of bones the man's neck snapped and he fell in a lifeless heap against the pavement.

The woman watched with wide eyes, swaying back and forth now. She wrung her hands in her skirts, eyes bright and watery, but no tears came yet. She hiccuped and turned her eyes upward.

Casu grinned back at her, hazel eyes twinkling,"You really upset your husband, messing around with that fellow,"he jerked his head in the direction of the recently deceased,"Paid quite the pretty penny for my services."

The woman opened her mouth, probably to scream, but Casu silenced her effortlessly before she had the chance.

By the time morning rolled around all that was left was the stench of alcohol, and perhaps a few stray droplets of an unusually red liquid that mingled with the spilled liquor.

"Isn't it a bit early for you to be getting drunk, Casu?"

"I'll get drunk whenever I fucking want to!" to emphasize this, the anthro hybrid swayed back in his sit and tipped the entire contents of his mug down his throat. He slammed aforemention mug on the table and wiped his lips with a smack.

The man beside him wrinkled his nose a little, averting his gaze,"Most peculiar thing happened last night."

"I'm sure it did...I could think of a mighty lot of peculiar things that could happen to you in the middle of the night, Ian,"he snorted, waving at the waitress to bring him another drink.

"I'm sure you could. Anyway,"he waved a hand dismissivly,"Neither my wife nor lord Byre appeared to make it home last night."

The waitress returned with a drink. Casu nursed it ravenously. Ian produced a small black pouch, inching it across the table to his companion,"Excellent work, Casu."

"I do my best,"he squished the back in his hand and tucked it amid the folds of his clothing.

"Unfortunetly,"Ian continued, tapping his fingers against the table. His look of disgust morphed into that of a smirk,"I still don't forgive you for the incident with Vince."

Casu grunted out a chuckle,"Kid deserved it, if you ask me. Freaky little tart."

Ian's fingers stiffened against the wood of the table. Casu eyed this with a smirk. Couldn't really do much harm to the wood unless you had claws.

"That may be so,"said Ian,"But it doesn't change the fact that Vince was very important to me, and I do not appriciate you...harming him."

Casu shrugged, adjusting his wings as he did so.

The atmosphere changed. It wasn't sudden, but it no way was it subtle either. The barhands manovoured their way to the back or safely behind the counter. Several patrons up and left, leaving drinks and meals behind. The few guests that remained unphased by the event rose out of their chairs and inched toward Ian and Casu.

Casu peeled back his lips and growled, clutching his drink to his chest,"Ian."

Ian rose and turned away, grinning over his shoulder,"You see, Casu. I simply cannot allow such a criminal act against Vince go unpunished. I'm sure you understand, being...what you are, and all."

Oh he understood alright. He understood perfectly.

Without warning Casu launched himself from his seat, both table and chairs toppled to the floor, and he flung himself at Ian. The pair fell to the ground with a heavy thump. Casu jerked back his head, mouth gaping, and dove forward. His jaws clamped around Ian's shoulder. Ian cried out, pushing uselessly at the beast. Seconds passed, and the men Ian had called were jerking Casu away from Ian. Casu came willingly, jaws dripping saliva and very little blood.

Ian struggled to his feet, clutching the wound. He clenched his teeth, seething,"It doesn't matter, Casu." He whinced, stumbling backward. One of the men whipped out a chair and eased him into it. The viral bacteria and diseases that plagued Casu's spit were already having some effect on him.

Casu grinned bloodily,"Sure it is, Ian. It's a game now. 'Who lives longest'. Ever heard of it?"

Ian growled. "Take him away,"he turned his gaze to the floor and squeezed his eyes shut,"And kill him."