The village was peaceful, tucked into the forest and surrounded by fields and tall grass. Life went on at its own pace here, with villagers tending to their work, children playing in the square, and the occasional traveler passing through on the main road. It was a quiet place, far from the chaos of the larger towns and cities.
But recently, something strange had been happening. A small creature had been spotted darting around the village—a tiny black-and-blue figure moving through the grass and occasionally peeking into houses. Most people just shrugged it off as a pest or one of the small magical creatures that sometimes roamed the forest.
But a few villagers were starting to get curious.
Hanna wiped her flour-covered hands on her apron and stretched her arms, glancing around the bakery. It was a quiet afternoon, with just a few loaves left to bake before she could call it a day. As she moved to grab another tray, something caught her eye—a little movement near the edge of the door.
She squinted, wondering if her eyes were playing tricks on her. But no, there it was—a tiny, black-and-blue creature with little pincers. It was staring right at her from the doorway.
She let out a small gasp, her eyes widening as the creature tilted its head—or whatever equivalent it had for a head—seeming to look at her. Hanna blinked, and in that split second, the creature was gone, scuttling back into the tall grass.
"Did I just… see a tiny scorpion?" she whispered to herself, half-convinced she was imagining things.
Her brother, who had just walked in, overheard her. "A scorpion? Here? It's probably just one of those forest beetles, Hanna. Or maybe a little magical critter. They sometimes wander close to the village."
She frowned, unsure. "Maybe… but it had these shiny black and blue scales. It looked… odd."
Her brother shrugged, taking a bite of a leftover roll. "You've been working too much. Take a break; you're seeing things."
Hanna gave one last glance toward the doorway, a hint of curiosity lingering. Odd or not, it was kind of… cute?
Garvin wiped the sweat from his brow, watching the steam rise as he plunged a glowing piece of metal into the water. The hissing of steam filled the small shop, and he took a moment to rest, leaning against his anvil.
Just as he was about to reach for his hammer, he spotted something small moving along the workbench. He narrowed his eyes, squinting through the haze. A tiny creature with pincers and a dark, shimmery body was making its way across the bench, stopping to inspect some of the metal scraps.
He frowned. "What in the blazes…?"
Garvin leaned in closer, his massive shadow looming over the small creature, but in an instant, it scuttled off, slipping out of sight. He blinked, scratching his head. "Was that a… scorpion?"
His apprentice, who had overheard him, let out a laugh. "A scorpion in the workshop? Sure, Garvin. Next, you'll be telling us there's a dragon hiding under the anvil."
Garvin huffed, muttering to himself. "I know what I saw… I think." He gave one last suspicious look around the shop, but the creature was gone.
Rina was used to dealing with the chaos of a dozen little kids running around, but today had been especially wild. Toys were scattered everywhere, the children were playing tag, and at least two were crying after a minor tumble.
Amidst the chaos, Rina noticed something strange. Near the door, a small creature was peeking in, watching the children with what almost looked like curiosity. She could barely make it out, but it looked like a little scorpion… with black and blue scales.
She rubbed her eyes, wondering if she was seeing things.
"Rina, can we play outside?" one of the kids tugged at her dress, breaking her concentration. When she looked back, the creature was gone, darting off into the grass.
A shiver ran down her spine. Was that… some kind of magical pest? She'd heard of enchanted animals that wandered close to villages from time to time, but a scorpion? And a shiny one at that?
One of the other caretakers walked by, noticing her strange expression. "Rina? Everything alright?"
Rina hesitated, then shook her head, laughing softly. "Yeah, I just… thought I saw something strange."
"Well, strange things happen here all the time. This village practically lives on strange," the caretaker chuckled, nudging her playfully.
Rina gave one last look outside, a small smile playing on her lips. Maybe it was nothing, or maybe this mysterious scorpion was just another harmless visitor. Either way, she kept her eye out for any tiny, shimmering critters from that day forward.
Mira skipped down the path leading from her house to the well, humming to herself. She was clutching her doll, its faded dress dragging in the dirt as she went. As she passed a patch of tall grass, she saw a tiny shimmer in the corner of her eye.
Turning, she spotted the little creature—a shiny scorpion with blue and black scales. Her eyes widened, and for a moment, she felt the urge to cry. She'd heard scary stories about scorpions and their stingers, but this one… looked kind of cute.
The scorpion paused, tilting its tiny head, and then it did the most unexpected thing.
It danced.
With its pincers raised, the little creature swayed side to side, clicking its claws in rhythm. It even wiggled its tail, bobbing up and down in what looked like a funny little dance just for her. Mira let out a small giggle, completely entranced by the tiny performer.
"Hello, mister scorpion!" she whispered, trying not to scare it off.
The scorpion clicked its pincers in response, as if it understood her. Then, it raised one of its tiny limbs, pointing toward the village center, where her friends were playing.
Mira watched, fascinated, as the scorpion kept gesturing with its pincers and tail, almost like it was telling her to go join them. She didn't fully understand, but she gave a little nod, hugging her doll close.
"Bye-bye, mister scorpion!" she said with a wave before running off to join her friends.
The creature watched her go, scuttling off into the grass as soon as she disappeared from view.
The village elder sat on his bench near the well, watching the villagers go about their daily routines. He'd lived here longer than anyone else, and it took a lot to surprise him these days. But lately, he'd been hearing strange stories from some of the villagers.
"A little scorpion with black and blue scales, you say?" he repeated, raising an eyebrow as Rina explained what she'd seen.
"Yes, Elder. I thought it was just my imagination, but Hanna and Garvin both said they saw something similar," Rina replied, looking around as if the creature might appear at any moment.
The elder chuckled, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "It could be a harmless magical beast from the forest, just curious about us. Or maybe…" He leaned back, a twinkle of amusement in his eye. "Maybe it's just one of the many creatures that call this land home. Some of them like to watch us, see what we're up to."
"But Elder, what if it's dangerous?" Rina asked, a hint of worry in her voice.
The elder chuckled, shaking his head. "If it wanted to harm us, it would've done so already. No, I think this little visitor means no harm. Let it be, and perhaps it'll go on its way."
Rina nodded, reassured by the elder's calm demeanor. But as she walked away, she couldn't help but glance over her shoulder, wondering if she might catch another glimpse of the mysterious scorpion.
The elder watched her go, his smile widening. He'd seen strange things in his lifetime, but a scorpion visiting a village? That was a new one. And somehow, he had the feeling it wouldn't be the last time he'd hear about this little creature.
As the sun dipped below the horizon, casting a warm glow over the village, the elder sat back and enjoyed the peace. Little did he know, just a few feet away, in a small patch of grass, a black-and-blue-scaled scorpion was watching, just as curious about the humans as they were about him.