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Description
The girl kicked moodily at a pebble that was lying in her way, watching as it clattered along the cobblestone that spread out before her, stretching farther than she could see. She scoffed, walking in a wide berth around the pebble as she passed it, and continued down toward the bridge.

Today just wasn't her day. Not that anything in particular had gone wrong, but it just seemed she wasn't meant to be in high spirits. She ambled along the road, passing people and shops but taking no notice of them, and they of her. She was used to it. But today had her feeling profoundly alone, and for no apparent reason.

"Look over there," came the voice of her dæmon, and she stopped in the middle of the road even though she shouldn't have. And for this she was rewarded with a reprimanding nudge on her ankle as her dæmon made to push her off to the side. She sat herself down on a bench, and her dæmon leapt up beside her. At this, she scowled, for yet another reason to be unhappy had presented itself.

Her dæmon had finally settled into the form of a stout beagle, and her lip pouted as she thought about it again. It wasn't the form she was displeased with, it was the fact that he could no longer change. No child ever liked that facet being taken away, and with it having happened recently, she was still brooding.

"It happens to everyone eventually," her dæmon reminded her patiently, having felt her feelings on the matter several times already. "We all have to grow up sometime."

She didn't answer, but instead stared over at the port, and at the bridge she'd been heading toward. She sighed, already making to stand up again.

"Before we go," her dæmon said quickly. "Look over there, at the place I mentioned."

Successfully having turned his girl's attention to where he wanted, the beagle focused with her as she slowly sat back down. There, opposite the bench they were seated on, sat a rather old man at a worn chess table. The girl cocked her head to the side; it wasn't often she'd see anyone playing those. But odder still, she noticed, the man seemed to be playing with his dæmon.

"Is he...?"

"Just watch them," came the reply from her own dæmon.

She did as he said, curiousity mounting in her. She knew it was common for men to sit by themselves, with only their dæmons for company, but never had she seen something like this. The man's dæmon was a jackal, and as he moved a pawn, she eagerly pushed a knight forward with her nose to claim him. The man let out a raspy laugh, his dæmon joining him with a soft female voice. The girl stared more quizzically at them, for what good was it to play a game with your own dæmon?

"Why think about it like that?" asked her dæmon.

"But if I were to play with you," she argued, turning to look into his brown eyes. "You'd know the moves I was going to make, and I'd know yours! It's pointless!"

The beagle's eyes brightened. "We're arguing right now, and I know every point you're going to try to make."

The girl's lip pouted forward in dumbfoundment, and her dæmon turned back to the chess table with a sigh of satisfaction.

"But still," she said. "Everyone who sees him must think he's incredibly lonely."

"If you would rather talk to me than a playmate, would that make you lonely?"

"Of course not!" she responded, turning at the sound of the jackal giving another spirited laugh as the man sheepishly scratched the back of his head.

"You're beating me good, Phelina," he said lovingly, and she twitched an ear at him. "How did you get so skilled at chess?"

The girl fell pensive as her eyes took in the sight of the man and the jackal, now laughing together and obviously having a joyous time.

"Doesn't look so lonely anymore, does he?" her dæmon asked.

"No, I don't suppose he does." she answered, her eyes moving to the bridge again. What had she been upset about? She couldn't remember; and in any case, it didn't matter anymore. "Come on then."

She stood up and her dæmon leapt down to land at her heels, his beagle tail wagging as they made their way to the table behind the man.

-Fin

Description
The girl kicked moodily at a pebble that was lying in her way, watching as it clattered along the cobblestone that spread out before her, stretching farther than she could see. She scoffed, walking in a wide berth around the pebble as she passed it, and continued down toward the bridge.

Today just wasn't her day. Not that anything in particular had gone wrong, but it just seemed she wasn't meant to be in high spirits. She ambled along the road, passing people and shops but taking no notice of them, and they of her. She was used to it. But today had her feeling profoundly alone, and for no apparent reason.

"Look over there," came the voice of her dæmon, and she stopped in the middle of the road even though she shouldn't have. And for this she was rewarded with a reprimanding nudge on her ankle as her dæmon made to push her off to the side. She sat herself down on a bench, and her dæmon leapt up beside her. At this, she scowled, for yet another reason to be unhappy had presented itself.

Her dæmon had finally settled into the form of a stout beagle, and her lip pouted as she thought about it again. It wasn't the form she was displeased with, it was the fact that he could no longer change. No child ever liked that facet being taken away, and with it having happened recently, she was still brooding.

"It happens to everyone eventually," her dæmon reminded her patiently, having felt her feelings on the matter several times already. "We all have to grow up sometime."

She didn't answer, but instead stared over at the port, and at the bridge she'd been heading toward. She sighed, already making to stand up again.

"Before we go," her dæmon said quickly. "Look over there, at the place I mentioned."

Successfully having turned his girl's attention to where he wanted, the beagle focused with her as she slowly sat back down. There, opposite the bench they were seated on, sat a rather old man at a worn chess table. The girl cocked her head to the side; it wasn't often she'd see anyone playing those. But odder still, she noticed, the man seemed to be playing with his dæmon.

"Is he...?"

"Just watch them," came the reply from her own dæmon.

She did as he said, curiousity mounting in her. She knew it was common for men to sit by themselves, with only their dæmons for company, but never had she seen something like this. The man's dæmon was a jackal, and as he moved a pawn, she eagerly pushed a knight forward with her nose to claim him. The man let out a raspy laugh, his dæmon joining him with a soft female voice. The girl stared more quizzically at them, for what good was it to play a game with your own dæmon?

"Why think about it like that?" asked her dæmon.

"But if I were to play with you," she argued, turning to look into his brown eyes. "You'd know the moves I was going to make, and I'd know yours! It's pointless!"

The beagle's eyes brightened. "We're arguing right now, and I know every point you're going to try to make."

The girl's lip pouted forward in dumbfoundment, and her dæmon turned back to the chess table with a sigh of satisfaction.

"But still," she said. "Everyone who sees him must think he's incredibly lonely."

"If you would rather talk to me than a playmate, would that make you lonely?"

"Of course not!" she responded, turning at the sound of the jackal giving another spirited laugh as the man sheepishly scratched the back of his head.

"You're beating me good, Phelina," he said lovingly, and she twitched an ear at him. "How did you get so skilled at chess?"

The girl fell pensive as her eyes took in the sight of the man and the jackal, now laughing together and obviously having a joyous time.

"Doesn't look so lonely anymore, does he?" her dæmon asked.

"No, I don't suppose he does." she answered, her eyes moving to the bridge again. What had she been upset about? She couldn't remember; and in any case, it didn't matter anymore. "Come on then."

She stood up and her dæmon leapt down to land at her heels, his beagle tail wagging as they made their way to the table behind the man.

-Fin