While is companions went about their morning "business", Ureck continued to sleep as soundly as a puppy after a long day of running. The comparison wouldn't be inaccurate, as unlike his fellow travelers the dog hadn't found many chances for exercise and prepare for long treks back in Espen. Coupled with the lack of his own delicious prey to give him an energy boost, and Ureck had become far more exhausted than he he had let on (even to himself!). Thus, even into the morning his slumber continues, along with the dreams both good and otherwise...<br/><br/>Fortunately (or perhaps unfortunately) for the collie, he was in the midst of a pleasant imagining while the strange tickling sensation climbed up his chest. In his subconscious, he was lying in a plush soft bed bathed in the glow of a nonexistent fire as he slept. Beside him lay another collie, a female with a shapely body and a more symmetrical black pattern on her face than Ureck himself. Together they lay snuggled up against each other, enjoying the way their fur felt against each other, savoring the minutes they let tick by. Then, she began her favorite tease, using her fingers to create a littler person that would walk up his chest over his neck and down to the side of his cheek where she would then turn his head sideways to give him a kiss. The sensation seemed so strangely vivid, so real, like something really was walking on his... what was going on?<br/><br/><div style="padding: 3px; background-color: #FFFFFF; border: 1px solid #d8d8d8; font-size: 1em;"><div style="text-transform: uppercase; border-bottom: 1px solid #CCCCCC; margin-bottom: 3px; font-size: 0.8em; font-weight: bold; display: block;"><span onclick="if (this.parentNode.parentNode.getElementsByTagName('div')[1].getElementsByTagName('div')[0].style.display != '') {  this.parentNode.parentNode.getElementsByTagName('div')[1].getElementsByTagName('div')[0].style.display = ''; this.innerHTML = '&lt;b&gt;Spoiler: &lt;/b&gt;&lt;a href=\'#\' onClick=\'return false;\'&gt;hide&lt;/a&gt;'; } else { this.parentNode.parentNode.getElementsByTagName('div')[1].getElementsByTagName('div')[0].style.display = 'none'; this.innerHTML = '&lt;b&gt;Spoiler: &lt;/b&gt;&lt;a href=\'#\' onClick=\'return false;\'&gt;show&lt;/a&gt;'; }"><b>Spoiler: </b><a href="#" onclick="return false;">show</a></span></div><div class="quotecontent"><div style="display: none;">Knowledge (nature) check: Automatic failure (untrained)</div></div></div><br/><br/>Ureck's eyes popped open with a start as he gazed down at his chest, his body freezing just as quickly as his blood. Staring down his muzzle at the scorpion that had decided to use him for climbing practice, the dog immediately matched the mottled pattern to the images he had seen in the library's entomology books: the Emperor scorpion, as deadly as any such creatures could be. His mind was running at full clip, abuzz with panic and dread, yet he remained still, watching the scorpion carefully. It could have struck at him a long time ago, yet it hadn't. Maybe if he remained calm, it would never find a reason to-<br/><br/><blockquote><div><cite>Sillyness wrote:</cite>“URECK! Be careful!” Lilium said, pretending the situation was dreadful. Reaching down she quickly scooped up the scorpion by the tail and dangled it in his face. “Do you know what this is? This is an emperor scorpion”</div></blockquote><br/><br/>The dog's eyes flickered to the kitsune, too focused before to have noticed her return, nor Sherani's. He gritted his teeth as he looked at her, trying to show that he was already trying to be careful. However, once Lilium grabbed the scorpion by the tail and waved it about, his jaw nearly dropped off his face. Perhaps surprisingly, however, his stare and his alarm fell not onto the scorpion held before him, but to the hand that held it. "M-m-miss Lilium," he stuttered. "D-do-do-don't touch it! It will sting you!... J-j-just put it down, and don't do anything-"<br/><br/><blockquote><div><cite>Sillyness wrote:</cite>“One little sting from this guy and” With a grin Lilium let go of the scorpion, letting it drop onto Urecks face. “Oops!”</div></blockquote><br/><br/><blockquote><div><cite>Allie wrote:</cite>"Ureck... don't move a muscle..."</div></blockquote><br/><br/>If it hadn't been for Sherani's presence and words, the collie would've likely panicked harder than he ever had before. Yet as he finally acknowledged the shifter's presence, he managed to hold onto the tiny shred of composure he still maintained and held his breath, his eyes full of fear as he stared at the killer critter that had landed on his muzzle. Not a peep escaped his lips as he tracked Sherani as she sought a means to remove the little danger, yet everything in his horrified gaze begged her to find something, and find it now...<br/><br/><div style="padding: 3px; background-color: #FFFFFF; border: 1px solid #d8d8d8; font-size: 1em;"><div style="text-transform: uppercase; border-bottom: 1px solid #CCCCCC; margin-bottom: 3px; font-size: 0.8em; font-weight: bold; display: block;"><span onclick="if (this.parentNode.parentNode.getElementsByTagName('div')[1].getElementsByTagName('div')[0].style.display != '') {  this.parentNode.parentNode.getElementsByTagName('div')[1].getElementsByTagName('div')[0].style.display = ''; this.innerHTML = '&lt;b&gt;Spoiler: &lt;/b&gt;&lt;a href=\'#\' onClick=\'return false;\'&gt;hide&lt;/a&gt;'; } else { this.parentNode.parentNode.getElementsByTagName('div')[1].getElementsByTagName('div')[0].style.display = 'none'; this.innerHTML = '&lt;b&gt;Spoiler: &lt;/b&gt;&lt;a href=\'#\' onClick=\'return false;\'&gt;show&lt;/a&gt;'; }"><b>Spoiler: </b><a href="#" onclick="return false;">show</a></span></div><div class="quotecontent"><div style="display: none;">Edited the post after Allie's edits. :3</div></div></div>