Pin

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(Just want to say real quick that this is more the outline of the story, but I decided to post it anyways because it will probably never be finished. So now y'all know how I plan stories and why they never get finished)

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Pin has gotten an assignment from a very highly respected, important client. Pin has killed for this dragon before, and agrees to meet him. The client chooses a place near the port, and the banescale gives Pin a paper with a portrait of the dragon he wants dead, and half of ans payment. The banescale doesn’t know where the dragon is, doesn’t tell an who he is, he just wants him dead.

Pin looks for him, searches from town to town, and keeps hearing about this JiaoZi who fits the description perfectly. But every time an comes to a place, JiaoZi is gone. Then one day, Pin finds him on the streets, conning some wildclaw out of their money.

Pin wonders whether the banescale has been robbed as well, but then an realises the wildclaw is a very mean dragon. He scratches his mate in the face, snaps at her every time she opens her mouth. Pin notices JiaoZi only targets those who deserve it. Quite much like Pin anself. The imperial is not a danger to anyone. Yes, he is a thief, a rogue, a charlatan, but Pin never sees him hurt anyone.

So Pin decides it is time to take a closer look. An sneaks inside the room JiaoZi has rented in an inn. The imperial is on the bed, asleep. Pin looks around, but an cannot find a single thing that might mean this JiaoZi deserves to die. And then a hoarse voice rumbles through the room.

“I was wondering when you’d come visit me.”

Pin turns around, calmly, and faces the wide and awake imperial. An tilts ans head, but doesn’t say anything.

“I’ve seen you following me around, Orby.”

The imperial’s brown eyes scan the pearlcatcher, and all of a sudden, Pin knows there is no way an can ever kill this dragon. An still doesn’t answer, and the imperial circles around an, making ans usually very calm heart beat fast. The imperial brings his face very close to Pin’s, and says with that hoarse, silver voice; “What are you doing here?”

Pin answers, “Someone wants you dead.”

The imperial’s eyes widen, and he says: “You came to warn me?”

“I was send to kill you.”

The imperial starts to laugh, the sound sending tingles down ans spine. And then the imperial chuckles; “You cannot kill me, Orby.”

Pin narrows ans eyes, and JiaoZi smirks; “I’m not doubting your skills, darling.”

The last word makes Pin’s heart stutter, and the imperial comes a little bit closer as he says; “I’ve seen you looking at me these past weeks. You would never use those claws of yours to slit my throat.”

And then he grins, and he purrs; “Though I wouldn’t mind you using them for something else.”

JiaoZi leans in, and bites an in the neck, but it is such an affectionate bite that Pin’s legs go a bit numb, and then the imperial picks an up and drops an on the bed. The dragon locks an in with his paws, and he breathes; “Did I get it wrong, Orby?”

Pin only shakes ans head, and an can feel his warm breath on ans face when the imperial leans closer.


Pin wakes in JiaoZi’s bed, and an has never felt—well, anything before. Certainly not something like that. JiaoZi is hugging an tightly, and Pin has no desire to move anywhere soon. Pin turns around, pressing ans face in JiaoZi’s soft, sparkling belly. An can feel JiaoZi wake up because his heart rate goes up. Pin’s ears tremble as the imperial’s chest starts to vibrate when he speaks. “It was that white winged banescale, wasn’t it?”

Pin just sighs in response, and JiaoZi is like; “How much did he pay you for my life?”

Pin only says; “Half.”

JiaoZi sneers; “That beast slaughtered my family.”

Pin’s heart cracks, and an doesn’t dare to answer because an is in fact an assassin for hire, but then JiaoZi says with that hoarse voice of his; “You’re nothing like him, Orby. You don’t hurt those who do not deserve it.”

Pin raises ans head to look at him, and JiaoZi smirks; “Oh, I know exactly who you are, Pin of the Forgotten Cove.”

Pin’s cheeks actually redden a bit, and JiaoZi says, very seriously; “And I would like to hire your services.”

Pin doesn’t say anything, and JiaoZi says; “Do you accept money stolen from the guilty?”

Pin trails ans nails across his neck, and an says softly; “I can imagine better ways for you to pay me, Prince YingYing of the Woodlands.”

The imperial’s eyes widen, and then he grins, and he purrs; “I’ve never heard you speak so many words in one go, Orby.”

Pin just smiles in reply, and Prince YingYing says smoothly; “Would you like me to pay upfront?”

Pin, “I’d like to be payed in instalments.”

YingYing laughs, and Pin just melts in his arms.


Pin walks over the pier, and the white winged banescale lands beside an, and he asks; “Is he dead?”

Pin, “He’s innocent.”

The banescale snarls, taking a step closer, and he spits; “You failed?”

Pin, as an answer, throws the pouch of money on the wood between them, and the banescale snatches it, and then he rasps; “You are a failure, you filthy little brat. I will make sure no one will ever hire you again.”

Pin tilts ans head, and that moment, the wind shifts, and the banescale goes completely still.

He growls; “All the Deity’s bones. You reek of him.”

Pin does nothing, just stands there, and the banescale scoffs; “You are a cold *******, Masked Bandit.”

And then a furious roar echoes through the air, and the white winged banescale laughs, the sound cold and dead.

He sneers; “Of course he’s here. He doesn’t want you to be alone now, does he?”

Pin can see YingYing flying over the water, eyes murderous for the words the banescale has used—but an can also see the muscles flex in the dragon’s shoulders, and an knows he’s got a weapon hidden, and that YingYing is too angry to notice.

So Pin does the thing an is best at. An lashes out, and before the white winged banescale can feel what an has done, he is already dead. He takes one staggering step, blood gushing out of his neck, and tumbles face first into the water. YingYing skids to a halt, a terrified expression in his eyes, but Pin knows he is not terrified of an.

The poisoned sword the banescale planned to stab through the Last Prince of the Woodlands clatters on the pier.

YingYing lands next to Pin, and he says with a voice somewhat hoarser than usual; “I wanted to do that.”

Pin says; “It wouldn’t have made you feel better, A-Ying.”

This time the imperial cannot say anything, and he remains silent for a few minutes, slowly realising his search for revenge is over. Pin knows how empty he must feel. And thus an turns around, and looks at him as an says; “What about the rest of your payment?”

And the imperial’s brown eyes flick up, and that darned, knee wobbling grin appears on his face as he purrs with his hoarse, silver voice; “I am in such a deep debt I think I will be paying you back for the rest of eternity.”

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