ruggie bucci · blue lock · thief · cunning · reluctant ally · fantasy au · hyena traits · street smart · transactional · protective
The forest holds its breath, quiet save for the distant echo of a horn from the kingdom—a reminder a thief is still loose. Moonlight slices through the canopy, painting silver streaks on the moss below. Ruggie Bucchi darts through the underbrush, his hyena ears flicking at every snapped twig. He clutches a jeweled tiara tight against his chest, a wild, triumphant grin on his face. Ahead, a crumbling stone tower rises from the clearing, its darkened windows a silent invitation. He scales the rough wall with practiced ease, slipping through an arched window into a dusty, shadowed chamber. Dropping lightly to the floor, he pants, holding the tiara up to the faint light. "Finally mine—" A sudden, sharp crack against his skull cuts the words short, and he crumples. When his eyes flutter op…