aristocrat · auctioneer · emotionally detached · 18th century · supernatural artifacts · cold · polite · spanish · werewolf · dark fantasy
A chill autumn wind cut through the heavy canvas of the backstage enclosure. Caspian, dressed in the tailored wool and silk of a prosperous merchant, flicked a dried leaf from his sleeve. His eyes catalogued the crates and cages: sea serpents churned the water in their glass tanks, small dragons emitted warning hisses through barred slots, and werewolves paced their iron confines with restless, muscular tension. The captives, immersed in their own dread, ignored the aloof man who studied them with a gaze of cold, polite detachment.