The shop's front door opened and closed followed by the tinkling of a small delicate bell. All along the inside of the small shop where shelves and tables filled with jars of every size. Each one packed with multi colored leaves of exotic teas from all corners of the globe. On other shelves and display stands stood numerous fine crafted tea pots and even sets of delicate looking cups to match.

Behind the counter with the old fashioned register a large emerald green dragon stood with a scowl on his bearded face. His wings shuffled in irritation one of them catching the light from above showing it's contrast of silver scales compared to the normal green. In the Dragon's large clawed paws he carefully cupped a sapphire blue tea pot. Swirling patterns made of a darker shade of sapphire decorated the belly of the pot.

Letting out a frustrated sigh he carefully ran a rag over the pot removing the smudged fingerprints the customer had placed on it.

“I can't stand it when they don't read the signs.” The Dragon's deep rumbling voice carried easily in the now empty tea shop.


Out of the back room came the sound of clicking claws on tiled floor. A black furred wolf appeared, dusting his paws off on his pants before stepping from behind the counter and into the main shop. His shiny black fur was broken in a few places by piercings on his eyebrow, nose and ear. Along with a stark white half mask that covered one side of his face. From atop his head a pair of sharp horns protruded adding to his strange and unique appearance.

“They didn't buy it?” He asked eyeing the shining tea pot.

“No, it's ‘too expensive.’” The dragon said putting on a mocking high pitched tone to imitated the customer who had just left. “You'd think they would of figured that out when they looked at the tag on the shelf with the price on it.”

The wolf chuckled and grabbed the two still steaming cups of tea the dragon had poured just before the customers entered the shop from the far end of the counter. Setting one of the cups in front of the dragon he takes a small sip from his own. Letting out a low groan from the labour in the back room and leaned on the counter to reply to the dragon who's eyes were still on the teapot.

“Well to be fair most normal people don't expect to be paying over 300 gold pieces for a tea pot. Besides It’s a pot you serve tea in… hell most people don't even serve tea in these thing they just get em for decoration.”


"THIS TEA POT IS 400 YEARS OLD..." the dragon starts to roar before stopping and closing his eyes, forcing himself to try and calm down after the irritation of the customers. Tossing the rag onto the counter he rubbed at his temple before running his paw down his face and pinching the bridge of his nose taking a deep breath. "It's antique, and something that should be respected, not man-handled.”

Opening his eyes he glares at the wolf. “You’d best remember to choose your words more carefully or you'll be running down to the dock every day to serve tea to the fisherman again. Remember what happened last time?"

The words sent a shiver of dread through the wolf's body as the memory returned. “Y-yes sir.”

With a short nod the dragon held out the blue teapot to the wolf. "Now make yourself useful and put this back on the shelf please. And be careful."

The wolf took the pot in both paws, one gripping the neck the other holding the handle. The dragon, paws now empty of the teapot, picked up his still steaming cup of tea and slowly drank from it trying to soothe his frayed nerves.

Mumbling under his breath as he walked off, “You'll be serving tea to the fishermen... blah blah blah… be careful with the precious tea pot.” He mimicked. “What's he think I'm gonna do? Smash it? Hell I've got the reflexes of a jungle cat! I think I can handle putting a stupid tea pot back on a shelf. Don't you think so?”

The last question was directed at the sapphire teapot in his paws. Adjusting his thumb so it was resting on top of the lid of the pot he began to squeeze making the lid flap up and down and in a high pitched voice he said.

“Oh yes Shade! You can handle it, by the gods you can handle much more important things than this!”

He nodded, “damn straight I can. I mean what could possibly happen?”

He squeezed his thumb again about to make the teapot talk again when a loud sharp tinkling snap sounded out like a gunshot in the quiet shop. The wolf’s heart skipped several beats and he instantly looked down.

In one paw he held the tea pot by the neck and in the other, he held the handle and there was an almost foot long gap between the two parts. Gulping hard he hunched his shoulders and tried to hide the broken pot with his body.

He could almost feel the sudden attention focused on his back. A low whistling sound followed by a much louder crack and smash came and the next thing the wolf knew pain erupted from the back of his head and a liquid heat began to spread over his back.

“WHAT DID I TELL YOU!?” The roar shook the jars of tea on the shelves as the pieces of broken tea cup fell to the floor.

The wolf sucked in a sharp breath through his clenched teeth and inwardly groaned. It was going to be a long couple of weeks running down to the dock and back every day.

Awesome piece done by  Aspen

Featuring daddy Griz!  GrizSylverwing

And me!!