"Yes," he said, glancing around the area. "There is." The dog, Loki decided, was not a good portent. His own fondness for canines was not always returned, especially not by the domesticated branches of the species, but he did not think that this dog was barking at him. That left only two options. Either the dog had sensed something in the immediate area that he had yet to notice... or the cur had felt threatened by Melinoe. In itself, that would not be enough to cause Loki to distrust his new companion. It was, however, a possibility that he made careful note of. Richard's feelings towards Iris seemed generally positive, if somewhat bemused, but Loki was not fool enough to think that this woman necessarily had anything to do with that one. If his new companion had it in her to scare a dog that badly, he would be wise to keep an eye on her.
Still, she was not his primary worry. As they walked, Loki's sense of foreboding continued to grow. His eyes flicked constantly down streets, up onto buildings, around corners, scanning for some sign of what he knew would be coming from that island. It was just possible that they might be lucky enough to make it back to their homes without any encounters. It was possible, but Loki doubted it was likely. That was not how such things worked.
When he saw the hand, it was accompanied by a feeling that could almost have been relief. Here, at last, was the threat he had been expecting. He stopped in his tracks, reaching out to suggest that Melinoe do the same, and pointed it out. It wasn't much, and someone less accustomed to looking for foes twice their size might have missed it entirely- a hand the size of a (He searched Richard's mind for an appropriate metaphor, which did not come easily.) a trash-can lid. Far more worrisome was the fact that it was too high on the building- easily three time the height of a man. Jotun he thought immediately, and began to circle wide of that side of the street, looking up to see what kind of giant it might be.
But as the far side of the building came into view, he realized that it was no giant at all. Something was perched on the side of the building, something huge, and only above the waist did it even resemble a man. Below the waist it was an insectoid monster, huge and nearly flat, with too many legs and a tail that he did not need to recognize to know would be poisonous. All together, it was easily the size of the bus that he had woken in, and Loki hoped fervently that it was one of the larger examples of its race. That was the last thought he managed before the thing turned its head to glare at him with red eyes, and hissed.
Mouth dry, Loki turned his head slightly, never taking his eyes off the creature. "I do not suppose you know how to kill that?" he asked Melinoe softly.