Dante Fuuriah's Story

Capella raised an eyebrow as Dante, far from reacting with awe, reverence, or any other such emotion that befitted the gravity of the claim she had just made, instead simply asked a question the Dragoness didn't exactly understand, for, although Capella was well versed enough in Human customs to understand why exactly her teasing advances caused such befuddlement in the minds and hearts of those with whom she toyed, she was much less knowledgeable when it came to terms of reference to such relationships. Consequently, Dante's simple question went completely over her head, momentarily distracting the curious Dragoness as she wondered what exactly it was Dante had just asked her. She was just about to inquire it of him when she remembered that the situation didn't exactly offer her the luxury of time needed to pursue such a discussion. Oh well, she supposed. It didn't really matter either way. If the boy didn't know exactly what he had officially been dragged into, that would just make it all the more fun watching him find out. Especially when she mentioned exactly how binding his position as her hoard was, and all of the different things it entailed. She couldn't help but snicker a little at the thought of it. Little did she know of the unintentionally disloyal thoughts her new possession was having, thoughts that very likely would have sent her into either a rage the likes of which could only be equaled in ancient dragon myth, or a downward spiral of despair of the selfsame caliber.

Naturally, this was only the latest of the dozens of countless misunderstandings between the two of them, and most certainly wouldn't be the last, either.

In any case, Capella had very little time to wonder about these things, for in the next few moments, the situation became much too pressing for her to delay any longer. In short order, the mage she'd perceived appeared, taunted the both of them - where exactly did he get off thinking it was at all a good and sensible idea to try to anger a dragon? - and then, predictably enough, opened fire with the usual cantrips and conjurer's tricks that the young Dragoness had come to expect of the troublesome Humans known as "magicians."

Normally, this wouldn't have been a problem. Of course, normally, Capella wouldn't have had an overenthusiastic, polyamorous and generally excitable and overconfident Human boy to protect.

In equally short order, Dante leaped in front of her, shouting something about how she would be "safe by his side," and was promptly sent flying by a low powered blast of magic to the face. And, while his attempts to protect his new master were certainly admirable - or perhaps a better word choice would be "laughable and absurd, yet somehow endearing to the point of being just a little bit adorable, much like the antics of a particularly clumsy yet well-meaning puppy?" - the fact that they had resulted in her comrade being hurt - even insignificantly - meant that this situation had just become gravely serious, and could no longer be but treated as such. This, of course, meant that Capella's vendetta against the annoyingly smug wizard went up several notches, climbing from "My honor dictates that I must have vengeance!" to "Okay, that's it. Everything burns now until he's dead. Then I'll incinerate his worthless corpse, and teach him what happens when you dare lay even one filthy hand on the most esteemed hoard of the great Gray Dragon, Capella!"

Somewhere, in the back of the Dragoness' mind, she couldn't help but notice that ever since she'd claimed such a high-maintenance being as a Human as her pet, she'd found herself greatly angered by such occurrences much more frequently than usual. It seemed that the boy got into trouble wherever he went, and, even though it was her job to keep him from being hurt, he ended up threatened so frequently that, in the past few weeks, the Dragoness had experienced more fits of murderous protective rage than she had, perhaps, in the last several years. It was odd, really, to find herself caring so much for the safety of a Human, a being who, by all rights, should have been at best considered prey, and at worst treated as her natural enemy.

These thoughts were, however, swiftly drowned out by Capella's primary instinct: killing intent towards the one who had dared to harm her hoard. Suffice to say, she was going to make sure he didn't live to repeat this mistake, through whatever means happened to be necessary - and a dragon's definition of the word "necessary" was very, very broad indeed.

In an instant, as the barrage of enemy magic now began to descend in turn upon her, the Dragoness had leaped back, evading the first few shots of the brightly gleaming arcane hail whilst at the same time landing by the side of her fallen companion, who had, evidently undeterred by his injury, managed to land and return to a fighting stance - although it seemed the boy's pride wouldn't allow him to go without issuing another brave, yet somewhat foolhardy challenge.

Goal 1: Get Dante away from ground zero, The Dragoness thought methodically, her vertically slit eyes slowly narrowing as another shower of magic descended upon them. Spreading her wings, she swiftly spun about and, ducking beneath Dante's extended sword, hastily swept up her arm, wrapping it around his waist as she launched herself upward like a rocket, carrying him upward and away from the frontal attack as it collided with their previous position, scattering a shower of dust and arcane light across the ground.

"Are you alright?" The Dragoness asked hastily as, giving the boy she carried an aside glance, she quickly checked him over for any pressing injuries before landing at some distance from the enemy mage. "Good, nothing serious," She confirmed to herself, not waiting for a reply. Muttering to herself as she touched down, she released Dante, berating him even as she wound her tail around him, poking at his back for reasons that, momentarily, might seem unclear, while at the same time delivering a remark that didn't seem to make much sense.

"Foolish, foolish Dante! Not even I can bear my own foolishness when it's coming from a foolish fool like you, you fool! Now then, you have something of mine. Where is the weapon I gave you?!" Exasperated, Capella sighed, spinning about and releasing Dante from her tail's serpentine coils. "Ugh, nevermind about the sword then. I don't know what you did with it, but if you've lost it, then prepare yourself to face a dragon's wrath once I'm done with this insolent fool. You're lucky that I am a very merciful dragon, especially to my possessions." Cracking her knuckles, she unsheathed her claws, extending them to their full length with a quiet, serpentine hiss as she braced herself against the ground, spreading her wings and preparing like a beast of prey just waiting to pounce.

"He, on the other hand, isn't nearly so fortunate. I advise you to stay back, Dante. Make no mistake. I promise that I won't let another such insulting injury be dealt to you. However, I'd really hate to see that lovely coat of yours get stained with that disgusting Human's entrails!" With those words, Capella at last made her leap just as the final shots of the arcane barrage fizzled out upon the ground. Streaking forward like a bullet as black fires began to crackle across her scales, Capella seemed less to move forward than she did to simply blink out of sight next to Dante and re-appear only inches away from her target. The speed of an angry dragon was nothing to be trifled with, a lesson that one Lain Gareev was about to learn firsthand. With an angry growl, Capella brought up her claws in a mighty sweep, at the same time releasing a sudden surge of black flames, aiming to first disembowel the mage with her talons, then incinerate him with an explosion of power in the next.

"YOU. BURN. NOW."

Lain Gareev

The air shimmered before him as he watched the boy go flying through the air. He grinned as he watched the youth land his fall fairly well. Lain leaned back and put one hand on his hip while the other hand reached up to his lips and he bit down on the skin. Only then did the dragon woman take any interest in him. Depositing the human some ways from the fight, the dragoness rushed forward at him, swiping her claws in an attempt to cut him up. Lain's grin grew ever more as he eyed her carefully. Slightly leaning back he watched her with a laugh on his lips.

His magic swirled around him and Lain shifted from where he'd been standing. It seemed this woman was rather intent on keeping the human out of the fight. He wondered what she would do should he take the human and threaten his life. Not that Lain would kill the boy, no he wasn't there to kill anyone. Just to keep them... occupied. His magic teleported him directly beside the youth with black hair and his arm wrapped around the boys throat. Pulling the boy close to his body, Lain shifted again with the boy in tow. He reappeared on the other side of the courtyard, smiling at the dragoness' back and waited for her to realize what had happened.

"Seem's you've got no control over your temper, little dragon," he called. Enrage her, get her riled up and then make her waste every ounce of energy she had. Lain laughed lightly as he held the boy tightly against him, a flash of silver in his hand against the moon light to let the dragoness know that he was holding a knife to the youths throat then.

"So, what do you plan to do now?" He asked slowly, leaning down next to the boys ear, "Move and I'll teleport you into the darkest void there is," Lain growled to the boy to ensure that he stayed still.

Armen Sorien and Fukayna

He was shoved aside suddenly as he'd been in the middle of lunging towards the cloaked man. Startled, Armen was thrown off balance and he hit the wall just as Fukayna took the blast of magic that he had not felt coming at him. She slid back a few feet before stopping and then came at the man right after. She deflected his second attack via magic and proceeded to use her halberd to try to land a few blows on the man. Unfortunately, she was deflected each time and Armen was finding it both amazing to watch her fight, yet frightening because he feared that she would be injured in the process.

As she lifted her weapon over her head, she attempted to strike the man in a crude fashion, only to be deflected by the cloaked man's sword being drawn. Fukayna looked over to him and Armen eyed her carefully, wondering what it was she wanted. He'd been too absorbed with watching the fight that he hadn't moved a muscle, seemingly frozen in place by fear and awe. Her fingers worked in the air, pointing to him and then making an X then to herself and finally to their opponent. The man laughed and Armen's attention was taken from the beautiful assassin.

"Interesting, she does not speak," he ground then raised his weapon again to attack her.

Armen lunged forward and intercepted the downward strike, blocking it with his own sword and glancing over to Fukayna, "Together," he answered her and pushed up and out with as much strength as he could muster against the mans sword. The blades slide across each other, scrapping loudly as they came apart. Armen followed the man as he took a few steps back to regain his footing. His blade slashed through the air, the tip just barely catching the man's robes and cutting through. A hiss of irritation filled the emptiness between them. Armen was sure then that with both of them attacking, they would have a chance of winning, if not at least driving the man to retreat. That would be enough.

Magic crackled and the man's blade lit up bright blue as it came back down towards Armen's side. Twisting around, he blocked the swing, his blade vibrating terribly as he took the hit. The magic along the weapon shot out at him and coursed down his arm, to his shoulder and numbed every muscle as it continued across his chest. Armen shouted in surprise as well as a bit of pain from the shock, but held his ground against the attack, enduring the magic as he hoped to keep the mans attention on him.

"You're very resilient. Almost too much so for your own good, elf. I think I would like to see that power of yours. I was planning to wait, but I don't think I can. Let us see what you're made of," the man said, his voice saying that he was grinning underneath the darkness of his hood. Stretching out his free hand he pressed it against Armen's chest and black tendrils of pure energy erupted from his hands to encircle the elf entirely, this was done so quickly that Armen hadn't had time to move away. The magic wound around him and in the next moment, the black magic dropped down into Armen's body, completely absorbed. The elf didn't feel anything as the power melted into him, but his eyes were wide in fear and shock as to what could possibly be happening.

It took a moment, but he started to feel something happening within his core. A sickening twist in his abdomen brought him to his knees, a gasp from his lips and his hands relinquishing their hold on his weapon. His body shuddered uncontrollably and he felt as if he had suddenly been filled with so much burning energy that he could explode. He rocked forward and backward, trying to rid himself of the terrible feeling, fear clawing at his heart as he didn't know what it was that ailed him.

"Wha-"

"Your power, elf. This is your power," the man in the cloak answered, kneeling down next to him and taking a fist full of hair to lift his head upwards, "The amount of magic throughout your body is magnificent, Armen Sorien. Hard to control isn't it?"

Armen's eyes narrowed as he growled in anger and the hand that held his head up snatched back suddenly, releasing the elf. The cloaked man shook his hand as if it had been burned and stumbled away from the elf that was on his knees. A short laugh escaped the enemy as he gripped his hand tightly, having dropped his sword as well. Turning his head towards Fukayna, the cloaked man lifted his hand and the air filled with magic. This time, Armen could feel the power rushing through the man's body before him, but there was little that he could do because he had no idea of what he could do or even how to do it.

"Fukayna! Move!" He yelled, just as the man unleashed his wave of power.

Fay X'san and Valentino DeAngelo

“Now love, where’d you say you left your weapons?” Valentino asked her. They were back in the room where she'd been attacked by the Nine and lost both her crossbow and dagger. She'd just reached the top stairwell where she'd been and her gaze found the hilt of her crossbow easily enough.

"My crossbow is here," she answered and walked over to retrieve the weapon, "My knife is somewhere down there," she motioned for the first floor. Making her way towards the stairs, the Navile woman started down to look for her knife.

“Why on earth were you here anyway? And didn’t you say you had some friends with you? Seems to me as though they’ve left you. What sort of friends does a Navile have? Good friends? Known them for a while? I must say, the reputation you’ve acquired isn’t a good one. Unfortunately... You do have my condolences about that; you seem like a wonderful girl, but even so.”

Her lips pulled into a delicate smile as she descended and made the landing on the bottom as the man spoke to her. He was wandering around the isles of bookshelves, mulling over the books with little to no interest at all. She waited until she was across the room before she answered him.

"We were here to get some answers, but I don't think we got any as we were attacked far to soon. I did have some... friends with me," Fay answered slowly, unsure if 'friend' was the right word in that situation. She barely knew any of the people she'd come with. Though the boy, Dante, had been rather intriguing to her. He was attractive and she wished to know so much more about him. Fay then found herself looking over at Valentino with a kind of dreamy allure, lost in thought about him suddenly and completely unsure as to how that had happened. Shaking her head slightly, she continued her search for her knife.

"They are people that were from Skyfall. They seem nice enough. I did not get to know them all very well. Though the one is the leader of the assassins, Talon V'lyn and his woman Jennifer Live. The others, I could tell you as much as I know if you would like me to," she offered, the words spilling from her lips almost too freely.

“I’m just curious, why would a Navile decide to show herself now? What business do you have? I thought you weren’t allowed from the forests, from your homes?” He asked as he wandered around and destroyed or mangled whatever he saw fit. This however didn't deter Fay in anyway and he seemed to be even more alluring while he was playing around with his magic.

"It took a while for me to be able to leave my forest, but we wish to have communication with the outside world. We want to be allowed to mingle with the people and we want to show that we are not the threat that people think we are. There are very few of us that are allowed to leave, in fact I'm the first in several years to leave the forests. I think I'm the only one as well."

“So, where would your friends have run off to? I’d be more than happy to escort you to them, if you’d like…” Valentino walked up to her and turned her around. Luckily Fay had found her knife among the rambling that she'd been spilling to the man. Her eyes were caught up in his and she found herself dreamily gazing at him.

"Please... I would enjoy that," she answered, a foolish smile upon her lips.

Stephano's large eyes widened as a huge fight broke out between Capella and a mysterious man. He hid his little assassin away in the shadows as the destruction started to get serious. But when this stranger started talking, he realised. This...this was the one who locked them up in the damn tower...this was the person who got Astrid injured. The little dragon snarled loudly, his long claws unsheathing and his back arching. Astrid had managed to stay upright for a while now, a sure sight her ailment was lessening a little. She coughed heavily before giving Stephano a look. The companion let out a heavy sigh.

"What now, Astrid?" He hissed, trying to avoid drawing attention to themselves. He may want to tear this "Lain" to pieces but Astrid was vulnerable. Still so very vulnerable. The redhead frowned gently, her red eyes fixed upon her dragon.

"C-c-come on, 'Phano. Y-you got to h-help. I mean, I-it will help y-y-you lose some weight." She offered weakly, as her mind pleaded. She couldn't help her new "comrades" but her dragon could. And one thing Astrid T'vali was good at was being loyal. No matter what. She slowly pulled a knife free from her thigh holder, wincing as her chest twinged at the movement. The blade sat in her hand firmly, her eyes bright. "B-besides, I'll be f-fine. I've got a k-knife and you know how good I am w-with knives." Astrid spoke quietly, her voice hoarse and somewhat damaged. The redhead let out another cough as talking tickled her throat. Stephano's eyes softened and he rolled his eyes.

"One day, Miss Astrid "no middle name" T'vali, this ceaseless need to throw yourself and by extension, me, into danger is going to get us both killed." Stephano grumbled. Astrid gave him a thankful look as he stalked forward, his belly brushing the ground. The dragon's lamp like eyes were fixed upon the scene in front of him. His body froze as the man grabbed Dante. He was Capella's human. He was threatening him. The sandy dragon hissed loudly, a small plume of smoke billowing from his nose. It was as if this guy had snatched Astrid and threatened to kill her. It was unacceptable. He quickly took inventory of his injuries, just in case. He was a bit tired and his wing was injured. But he could stall for time and try and get Lain away from Dante.

You got this, you fat lug. Stephano grinned as a wave of Astrid's thoughts encompassed his mind.

I appreciate the sentiment. Now, what can you see from your perspective? The dragon asked as he snuck round the scene.

Not much, all I know is Dante is currently looking screwed. Astrid's worry slipped in, her thoughts tinged by it. Stephano sent a small ripple of calm her way and assured her that Dante would be fine. He hoped. He just had to get this guy's attention away from the young man and onto himself. Why, oh why, did he do this to himself.

Then Stephano remembered. This was the man who placed Astrid in the hands of that mage. That's when he knew he had to act. The dragon launched himself in front of Lain, his eyes a burning yellow. He wasn't going to win this fight, not in a long short. But perhaps, he could distract this lunatic so that Capella could grab Dante and take off. Astrid sat in the shadows, her knife poised in her hand, ready to throw if necessary. This guy better not hurt her dragon. Stephano hoped Lain would not notice the redhead in the corner.

He didn't think she was going to be discrete by any means, but one might hope. The dragon dipped into a battle stance, his face pulled into a snarl.

"I do believe we have some business to sort out. As well as the fact you are holding an ally of mine hostage. Now, I am not prone to violence but in your case?" The dragon let out a quick spurt of fire. "I shall have to make an exception."

Armen Sorien

---

His heart clenched as he watched the power shoot down the hall at Fukayna and hit her full on. The woman hadn't moved when he'd yelled at her to. Something had kept her in one spot and she'd taken the powerful shot of magic nearly head on. Her staff seemed to be the only thing that kept the attack from being fatal. Armen's body shuddered in his shock and rage as he watched her fall over onto the floor in a convulsive manner. The elf's body seemed to gain a bit of movement on its own as the intruder had to shift his energy between holding Armen down and attacking Fukayna.

Armen's power expanded outwards immensely. He directed all of his focus onto the man before him and gave a shout of rage. His magic flooded outwards and struck the man. Armen watched as the enemy flew backwards and hit the wall hard. The power that he'd expelled cut into the cloth that covered the man's body and he could see trails of blood starting to stain the black cloth. Armen was shocked a moment after when the intruder started laughing.

"This... has been entertaining," raising his hand, his fingers snapped together and the darkness of the hallway seemed to congregate around him. In a matter of seconds the intruder was gone. Armen stared at the space where he'd been just a moment ago for a long while before he groaned and doubled over. The boiling of his magic was too much to handle and he toppled over onto the floor, unable to do anything else but rock back and forth as he tried to get control of himself once again.

---

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Sebastian and Khrae

---

"I think we can consider this area secure, for now. Shall we continue, then? When this is all over, I can assure you that if you so desire, I can reimburse you for whatever damages I'm forced to impose. I do apologize by the way, I did so enjoy this interior."

Sebastian straightened after disposing of the intruder. He turned around to examine the damage done to the hall. Most of the carpentry was burned as were some of the furniture as well. With a sigh, he sheathed his sword and glanced over to Khrae who also put his weapons away. The man sure was a mystery as well as a powerful fighter. Sebastian hadn't seen anything quite like it before.

"After you." Khrae motioned for the old assassin to take the lead.

"Don't worry about the damage. We can easily repair it ourselves, what matters is getting the mansion back under our control," Sebastian answered as he started forward. He led the man further down into the hall with no one else seemingly there. As they reached the end of the hall, Sebastian turned around and glowered back down the hall in the darkness. It was then that he felt a rumble from the first floor and his eyes widened. Turning to look at Khrae for a single moment, he started back down the hall as quickly as he could with the dagger in his side inhibiting his movements.

"Tell me you feel that too..." Sebastian rushed down the stairwell and into the hallway of the main room before the front doors. Turning around he tried to find the source of the rumble, the feel of immense power. As he was about to start down one hall, another rumble struck the mansion and he whirled around, pivoting on his foot and wincing slightly from his wound. With a slight growl, he reached down and pulled the dagger free from his side. Blood poured freely then, but the pain of the steel inside his flesh was relieved.

Sebastian came upon an awful sight as he rounded the corner from where the magic had expelled from. At the very last second he spotted the congregation of shadows and he immediately thought that it was an assassin that was using the darkness, but when the shadows faded away, there was no figure to be seen anywhere. What foul magic was that? Sebastian's dark eyes narrowed but he didn't have time to ponder what was going on. Instead he rushed to the elf who had collapsed onto the floor, rocking back and forth. His body was the source of the pure energy he was feeling. Something had been done to him, and Sebastian found he could do nothing for the young man.

"Damn," he whispered, and then looked around. It was then he spotted Fukayna on the other side of the hall someways away, crumpled on the floor. His breath hissed into his lungs between clenched teeth. Had Jennifer been there to see what had happened to the girl... he feared nothing would have been left of the mansion. The mage had a tender spot for the young woman who was laying on the ground now. Sebastian stood up and rushed over to Fukayna. Kneeling next to her, he rolled her over and gently lifted her up into his arms.

"Fukayna," he called to her. She didn't look to be harmed too much, but the way she'd been laying it was obvious she'd been attacked by magic. What kind and how it affected her, he did not know. That much was scary all on it's own. He could only hope that she would pull through.

---

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Lain Gareev

---

As he was holding the youth, he noted that a small dragon had come out of the shadows, away from it's companion. The beast growled at him, baring it's sharpened teeth as it threatened him coldly. Raising an eyebrow, Lain took a short breath to whistle lightly. So, the dragon kind could speak. That was new. The Nine gently moved backwards, pulling the boy with him. His grin was still very much apparent on his lips as he started backwards. It wasn't ever his intention to hurt any of them there, well perhaps a cut or two maybe, but nothing serious. He had only been ordered to distract them, and that's what he was doing.

"Return with me," the voice called to him. It was something only he could hear, a connection with those of his kind only. Turning slightly, his gaze flicked back to the mansion, a frown now upon his lips.

"Ruining my fun... And things were just getting interesting," Lain said. He glanced down at the boy for a moment before offering the group a bright smile, "Well, seems I'll have to call it for today," he called. With a hard shove, he released the youth and stepped backwards into the darkness. His magic swirled around him and he disappeared from the courtyard.

---

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Talon V'lyn, Jennifer Live, Kaya

---

"Impressive," Talon whispered to himself as he watched his lover break down the large double doors that led into the city of Laowlee. He moved with her as she called out into the city in a playful manner. He was going to have to keep an eye on her, she was on her magic high once again, heightened because he was there encouraging her. Talon grinned to himself, he'd changed much with her around. Never had he asked her in the past to use her magic to her desire. With a shake of his head, he came up next to her and glanced around the ruined gates and wall.

There was no one there, something that he didn't care to see. Something was wrong with the situation and he didn't like it one bit. His hands slowly snaked across his body as he gripped his weaponry. They'd come there to figure out why they had kidnapped Jennifer to begin with, but the lack of guards and others was putting Talon on edge. His sharp gaze flicked around the street before them. Slowly he moved forwards, the shadows gripping him like hands as they twirled around his body. Reina was there with him. If the Goddess had shown herself once more, surely something was amiss.

"Be careful," he warned Jennifer, though he figured she needed no such warning. Even so, saying it gave him some level of comfort. As he stepped off the ruined gate and into the street, his gaze caught something moving in the distance. Slowly he found it to be a figure that was heading straight towards them. Narrowing his eyes he reached out a hand and stopped Jennifer from moving passed him. In his other hand, he drew his long knife and waited for the figure to reach them.

---

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Torak

---

He was seated upon his throne in the only building that was left standing in Lethandrill. One hand rested against the arm of the throne with his head propped up in the palm. His eyes gazed at the double doors of the marble palace, all the while his thoughts on the power he wielded, and how even with that power he'd let Armen slip from his grasp and even attracted the attention of Lord V'lyn, possibly the worst person in all of Lastra to have the attention of. His teeth ground together as he sat there, writhing in his own anger and rage.

"Brooding, as always," the deep voice came from his right side, startling him. Torak jumped slightly and turned to look at the man standing next to him. His eyes narrowed even further in anger and his teeth bared at the man.

"Sneaky, as always, J'haren. What do you want now?"

The hooded man's face was never seen and the darkness under the cowl sent a slight chill up Torak's spine as he regarded the tall Nine standing next to him, "The pieces have been set."

After a moment, Torak smiled and turned to regard the doors of his palace once more. Leaning comfortably in his chair, his other hand tapped the end of the armrest on the throne, the claws of the gauntlet making soft clicking sounds as they hit the marble. How long had he waited for things to finally fall into place? Far too long.

"What do you plan to do now?" J'haren asked.

"I'll let them run around as if they've gained their freedom for now. The noose is slowly closing around them all. Things will move much faster now, and soon I'll get what I want."

"Yes. Very soon," the Nine commented, a slight difference to his tone than usual. It startled Torak and the elven steward glanced over to the man but was greeted by nothing. With a frown upon his lips he returned to his plotting and planning.

Stephano let out a low snarl as the threatening presence melted away, leaving the group alone once more. The dragon's mind raced as he tried to come up with reasons why this man would threaten them? Perhaps he had a hand in the misadventures of Ro'ell? Not that it mattered for the moment. The sandy brown creature quickly made his way towards his red headed companion, his lamp like eyes dancing around the surrounding area quickly. As he reached the assassin, he was pleasantly surprised at her regain of certain muscles to full capacity. Specifically her face muscles. The dragon wondered for a brief moment if that was a good thing or a terrible, terrible development. As the look being sent his way foretold a lot of chastising. Stephano sighed inwardly, already missing the blessed silence that was quickly dashed.

"Nice work, flabby, you chased him away and I didn't even get the chance to banter you for some of his kick ass magic."

"Nice to see you're somewhat back to normal. How are you feeling now?" The dragon asked, taking in her pale and slightly clammy skin. Great, an infection. Just what they needed. Astrid scoffed before clumsily crossing her arms. As she opened her mouth, the assassin gave her companion a glare, daring him to comment upon her impaired movement. Stephano lifted a eyebrow ridge. He may not be the brightest, but he wasn't suicidal.

"Well, bloody well annoyed to say the least. I've missed all the cool fighting and villainy because a flaming mage, a completely psychotic and batshit-out-of-her-damn-mind mage, might I add, decided that I was a test subject for a freaking spell! I hate mages and apparently, they hate me back. We have a mutual hate-hate relationship." The red head finished, enjoying the use of words again. Stephano lamented the silence once again as his companion decided that speaking a mile a minute was the best way to communicate. He let out a small puff of smoke as Astrid raved on.

"And then Sebastian tells us to stay put! We have NEVER stayed put. Ever! I mean, what was he thin-"

"Actually, I have no problem listening to the senior member of the group's decision and staying put. I quite enjoy it actually as when I listen, I don't get tarred with the same brush as other trouble making lunatic, such as you." Here, Astrid let out a indignant shout but her scaly companion ignored her with ease. "In fact, you have never stayed put. Although I feel that has less to do with you personally and more to do with your rampant antisocial personality disorder."

"You saying I'm crazy?!"

"No, of course not. I am merely bring to attention the fact that you have serious problems obeying anyone, authority figures especially." A loud huff made Astrid's idea of the whole thing clear.

"Are you going to psychoanalyse me all day or are we actually going to do something?"

"That depends. Do you have the full use of your legs at the moment?" Stephano asked, fully aware that his companion was currently unable to stand. In fact she had made a few aborted attempts within the last few minutes. The narrowed red orbs giving him a look that promised he would be dead and served with egg fried rice within the hour confirmed this train of thought.

"I freaking hate you, ya know that? Besides, you can act as my horse for a bit. Might as well burn a few carbohydrates or you'll be rolling back home." Astrid puffed out her cheeks comically, making her point crystal clear. The barbs fell from the assassin's tongue with a familiarity that managed to soothe both the young woman and dragon.

"You can be so tiresome, did you know that? I'm surprised you made it to this age without someone throwing you off a high building." Stephano grumbled, as he assisted the assassin onto his back. Her lower body was still basically immobilised completely. Although she wasn't too concerned. Her upper body had regained most of it's movement and she only needed her arms to use a bow. The red head sat almost regally upon her companion's back, eyes searching the surrounding area just as Stephano's had done before. She spotted Dante and prompted her dragon to make his way over to their ally. The dragon breezed over, using his wings to propel himself along.

"Hey, you alright?" The assassin asked, her red eyes filled with concern. The threatening presence hadn't been too careful before and any life threatening injuries was best to be taken care of now rather than later, as Stephano had reminded Astrid before many a time. Although most of the time, it was just Stephano being a total whiny baby but Dante didn't need to know that. Yet. After all, there was always plenty of time to make fun of Stephano.

Dante & Friends

All in all Dante wasn’t having a good day. Albeit, he just struck up a relationship, he thinks, without even having to try anything, but besides that, nothing was going right. So far he’d dropped his sword as due to being unexpectedly airlifted by his Dragoness girlfriend, chastised by her for losing her sword, and then just as he was formulating a plan for showing off the melee skills that he only possessed in his mind, the mage had swooped in and put a blade to his neck. That sort of kills the morale…

So Dante was left, standing stock-still, not wanting to move due to the sharp and very shiny edge pressed against his skin. He’d thought about calling for Khrae, but he knew that the man would only save him to kill him. Besides, he was sure he could handle this… Probably.. Maybe. He definitely wasn’t going to die. He had to figure this out, because when he went to rescue Fay whom they had left behind, he’d need to bring the heroic tale of how he single-handedly saved Skyfall and his new friends. Yes, he couldn’t fail. But… How could he get out of this predicament? Maybe he’d learned something from Khrae… probably not, but maybe… Hmm.

Even as he thought about it, the not-very fat dragon of the redheaded assassin made his appearance. After a short little speech, the Dragon readied itself, and suddenly Dante was worried that he’d be used as a shield. That would be very unfortunate, and not at all fun. Fighting looked so much more cool and fun when he wasn’t in this situation… He was sure that if he were winning, he’d enjoy it a lot more. Or is it fun to lose and be that cool guy that pulls an ace and saves everyone? Dante wasn’t sure, but right now, it wasn’t very fun.

"Ruining my fun... And things were just getting interesting," the mage spoke suddenly. Dante looked over his shoulder a moment to the man, unsure of who he’d just spoken to. He didn’t seem to be talking to anyone. Just as Dante was trying to decipher what the man’s words meant though, the mage had looked down to him, smiled, and excused himself from the battle. A minute later Dante found himself being pushed forward, away from his captor. Quickly, as he was released, he spun, throwing out a random chop that probably wouldn’t have done anything even if it had hit the man. He then took up a heroic pose as the mage disappeared.

“Yeah, runaway!” he said triumphantly. “You will always remember this as the day you almost caught Dante Fuuriah!” ( Totally necessary :D) What that, Dante made a shooing motion, then put his hands on his hips, investigating the situation and nodding as if satisfied of a job well done. “Now, let us continue inside and rid this place of any more pesky mages, shall we?!” With a wave of his hand, he motioned using his other towards the guild house.

“Er, actually, wait a minute.”

Quickly Dante rushed across the court yard to gather his sword.


Khrae & Sebastian

Khrae nodded as the man gave acknowledgement to his apologies about the furnishings he’d just burnt. Continuing down the hall, there seemed to be no other intruders, but suddenly a large rumbling caught their attention. Khrae looked to Sebastian who returned his gaze, both men mutually agreeing as to the next course of action as they bolted back towards the source.
"Tell me you feel that too..." Sebastian said as they worked their way back down the stairwell to the main floor. Khrae nodded, noting also the dagger which still held firm in the assassin’s leg. He gave the man credit and a moment of admiration for his endurance and loyalty, but then dispelled the thoughts as frivolous compared to the commotion happening up ahead. Navigating the mansion quickly, they were just about to turn down another hall when the building shook again. It was now that the assassin seemed to grow tired of the pain in his leg, and finally removed the blade, allowing the blood to flow.

The older swordsman took careful note of that possible hindrance as a factor in any upcoming battles, then continued as Sebastian rushed on. The sight they found themselves facing upon turning the next corner, however, was fairly disheartening.

Khrae’s eyes shifted immediately to the mass of shadows hording themselves around a man, then watched as they dissipated, leaving no one left. He made a quick assumption that it was a mage using some form of their cherished and cowardly escape spells, then dismissed the threat as it was no longer present. The man stopped now, allowing himself to take in the scene.

Sebastian had just ran to assist the elf who seemed lost to the world, curled up around himself and rocking back and forth. Khrae looked to the assassin for any sort of sign as to what had just happened, then followed the man’s eyes to the girl opposite the boy, further down the hall. Remaining silent, the swordsman watched as the older man abandoned the elf for his fellow assassin. Both looked to be in a terrible state of disarray, obviously sustaining a terribly mentally and physically exhausting battle. Why hadn’t they sensed, or at the very least heard it before? Whoever their opponent was, they certainly did a toll on these two, and being so young, Khrae was worried for the integrity of their beings. Frowning, the swordsman approached the boy and knelt beside him. He was in no way a mage, nor did he have any way of dealing with the aftershock of such high-powered spells. His knowledge was vast, but he still found himself unsure of the situation.

Brushing back the hair of the young man, Khrae put his palm over his forehead. He didn’t want to try anything for risk that it could make things worse, but at the same time didn’t want whatever effects the boy was enduring to continue. Perhaps he could attempt something… It wasn’t terribly risky, but he still wasn’t sure what it would do.

“Damn..” Khrae mumbled, sounding more like he were talking to himself. “Let me try…” Closing his eyes, Khrae concentrated, not even bothering to finish his sentence, forcing all other thoughts from his mind, then, barely audible, he began whispering. The words were ancient, extremely archaic prayers to an old god of fire and ancestry. The method was the same that clansmen used to imbue themselves with a momentary surge of devastating power, but also, Khrae hoped, a power that could also be used for other means. He’d read it was possible, but had never had means to try it until now. It seemed most of the damages sustained by the boy were all mental, rather than physical, and Khrae while an ailment to the body was one thing, the corruption of one’s mind was worse. The swordsman was not going to let a young life be tainted so easily, to the point where they’ve broken down entirely and put into a state such as this pitiful scene he was witnessing.

Gathering his strength, Khrae hoped he’d be doing more good than harm as he allowed the energy to pour into the boy. He could feel it pulsating through his arm, transferring into the boy through his spread palm. Careful not to allow too much to flow into him at once, Khrae, who hadn’t even broken a sweat during combat, was now perspiring. It took a few moments, but finally even Khrae couldn’t take the power he felt flowing through him. He abruptly ceased the flow, opening his eyes slowly as he looked at the figure before him. It was spiritual energy, so he hoped it could cleanse the boy’s mind of whatever the mage had done, or at least stop it from getting worse. After a second or two, once the energy was completely dispelled, Khrae picked up the elf. Turning to Sebastian, he nodded for him to go on. The task and strain of what he’d done, Khrae knew, takes varying amounts of time off all that a person can live. Though right now, the life of a young man was much more important than his own. Even if he did want to try to care, he was suddenly much too tired to put effort into it.

“I hope that helped,” Khrae said softly, smiling rather weakly to the assassin. “Let’s get these two somewhere safer…”

---

Sebastian, Armen Sorien, Khrae Var, and Fukayna Muidrehd

---

Sebastian knelt next to Fukayna, her unconscious form giving him serious cause to worry. He was no mage, and there was no way to tell what was wrong with her. What was worse was the fact that the elf was also in bad shape, his facial features of pure pain and fear were something to contend with. Whomever they'd fought, they had been powerful. To take out his most promising assassin, and a youthful elf. Did the older of their group even stand a chance? What about himself? Wounded as he was, he sure was growing old.

Leaning over he pulled the woman into his grip, an arm under her knees, the other wrapped around her shoulders. She was light as a feather as he stood with her in his arms. Turning, he witnessed the man from the phoenix clan leaning over Armen. His hand was on the elf's forehead and he seemed to be deep in concentration. What was more was the fact that he looked strained. The fight earlier and the display of power he'd shown hadn't even seemed to do a thing to the man's endurance. Whatever he was doing right then must have been even more powerful.

"What company we keep, my Lord," Sebastian whispered to himself, his thoughts going immediately to Lord V'lyn. He watched intently as Armen's face twisted into that of utter discomfort and pain, his body shuddering under whatever it was that Khrae was doing. When Khrae pulled away, the elf collapsed, sweating and seemingly in less distress than before. Sebastian was curious as to what the man had done, but he was more happy to see that the elf was a little bit better. Khrae moved and lifted Armen into his grip easily as well and turned to Sebastian.

“I hope that helped. Let’s get these two somewhere safer…”

"It seems that the mansion is safe once again, we should take them upstairs," Sebastian said and moved towards the stair case. There was the large room that was usually the medical office where the assassins would go for injuries and the like. It was there that Sebastian led them. Upon opening the door, he found it empty and felt a bit of anger wash through him. Not only had the assassin's who had stayed behind been killed, but it seemed that his staff for medical was also. Grinding his teeth, he walked over to an empty bed and laid Fukayna upon the sheets.

"I'll go get the others and we'll deal with the dead while these two sleep. I'll bring Astrid here too, she'll need to rest as well," Turning, Sebastian faced Khrae, "Thank you for all of your help, but if you're tired you should rest as well," the old assassin said, wording his sentence carefully for he did not want to insult the man in anyway. He had noted the tired look earlier when he'd lifted the elf. The last thing Sebastian needed was for the seasoned warrior to also collapse from fatigue.

With a slight nod of his head, the old assassin moved towards the door and made his way down the stairs and outside. There he found Dante on his way to retrieve his sword and pivot back around to charge towards the mansion. The old assassin put one hand on his hip, leaning on the good leg and glowered at the boy.

"It seems that you lot have had your own share of fighting, that or you're disobeying my order," Sebastian stated coldly. Without waiting for an answer, he turned to the others, "Come inside now. Stephano, take Astrid to the medical room, the rest of you will help me with clearing out our fallen brothers and sisters. After that, we'll discuss what we'll do next," he turned on his heel and limped back into the mansion to get started.

---

Talon V'lyn, Jennifer Live, and Kaya Xenlyiun

---

At first, Talon's chest clenched as he watched Jennifer take several hits. He almost ignited his own power to wash over her own and destroy everything before him. However, her cackling laughter told him that what he saw was not reality. Sometimes he really hated her illusions, they were so real they even fooled him. His lips turned into a frown as he watched her, lifting an umbrella over his head as her rain fell and scorched everything before them. Perhaps he'd allowed her to be too forward with her power.

Reaching out, he touched her shoulder. He didn't say anything, his gaze would say it all and she would know what he wanted just by looking at him. They'd been together long enough that most times, he didn't need to say a single word for her to understand his meaning. He narrowed his eyes ever so slightly at her, his lips still turned into a frown. He remained that way for a few moments until her rain stopped. Then he flicked his gaze over to who was approaching them. The person seemed unaffected by Jennifer's attack, and in response a gush of wind came at them, throwing debris all over as well.

Talon's teeth ground together as he made out the dragon behind it's owner. Then his eyebrow raised as his gaze finally sharpened and took in the man who met them. Lowering his head slightly, his blue-gray gaze turned to molten steel and he took his hand from Jennifer's shoulder to close it into a tight fist. The silver bracer on his wrist started to glow as well.

"Isaehn. I thought you were in Ro'ell," Talon growled, his voice holding a hint of accusation to it, "Perhaps you could explain to me why Jennifer was taken from me so suddenly? Or is it that the Order of Vyldi wishes for total annihilation?"

Suffice to say, by the time the main part of the group had returned to the courtyard, although Dante had recovered his blade, and although the threat that had faced the group had vanished, one member of the party was far from satisfied. Yet again, Capella found herself being toyed with, her own person mocked and her most precious treasure threatened so shamelessly, by a mere Human magician who didn't even have the courage to face her in direct combat. It made her sick, and, more than that, it infuriated her. The dark flames that had burned blackly around her arm slowly coalesced around her fist as it clenched, her knuckles cracking beneath their scaly coating as her claws scraped audibly across her armored palms, extending on draconic instinct to their full length even as her hands clenched themselves tightly based on more Human mannerisms, two conflicting displays of the vehemence of the serpent girl's rage that, although painful to behold, nevertheless seemed to have gone completely unnoticed by Capella herself as she whirled about, her golden eyes returning to their draconic appearance as the slits in both pupils grew frightfully large, her maddened gaze sweeping across the courtyard in an instant, scouring every shadow, every inch of ground for any trace of her target. In that instant, she wanted nothing more than to tear her cowardly enemy limb from limb, to disembowel him and strangle him with his own innards in retribution both for the humiliation he had inflicted upon her, and for his cowardly human arrogance in simply running away before she could do so.

"How... dare... that... brazen... mongrel...!" The Dragoness snarled through clenched teeth, spitting each and every word as though the syllables themselves were a loathsome poison. Yet, even the angry serpent knew well enough that her anger served no purpose if the one at which it was directed could not be repaid in full for his insults, least of all when her Hoard had just been nearly snatched from her. Rounding upon the boy as he recovered his blade, the Dragonness crossed the distance between them almost instantly.

"Bo- Dante," She began, hastily correcting herself as, in the heat of the moment, she nearly forgot the contract she herself had proposed - that she would henceforth address Dante by his name rather than simply as "boy." Nevertheless, shaking off this error, she continued quickly, a tone of surprising concern and urgency entering her voice, considering the all-consuming rage that she had shown just a moment earlier. "Did he do anything to you? Are you alright?" She asked quickly. To the boy's probable surprise, and further to the detriment of the mood he was trying to cultivate, the Dragoness did not wait for his response and instead, the scales on her hands vanishing for a moment, she swiftly grasped Dante by the shoulder, turning him fully to face her, at the same time gently taking hold of his chin - or at least, as gently as a dragon distressed for the safety of her most precious belonging could do anything - and raising it as she swiftly bent slightly, lowering her head as though to inspect his throat. It might only become clear to the boy what exactly she was trying to do when she began to sniff audibly, her eyes searching for any cuts or breaks in his skin. If that cowardly mage had cut her Hoard, after all, he would most certainly have to pay.

Drawing back a moment later, however, the Dragoness took a deep breath, calming herself as best she could. She had not smelled any blood, nor had she seen any significant wounds, which meant that, for the time being at least, Dante was safe and unharmed. Fortunate, but nonetheless frustrating, given the cavalier attitude he seemed to be taking to nearly having his throat slit. But, his failure to appreciate the precarious nature of his own position, Capella supposed, was also one of the things that made him such refreshing company, as this naive sort of self-confidence and perpetual optimism was doubtless one of the reasons why he found it so simple to speak to the Dragoness as he might address a member of his own species, instead of as an animal like so many other Humans had made the mistake of doing before him.

That didn't mean that she couldn't be annoyed, as his protector, at his seeming disregard for his own safety, however. And, moreover, with the frequency that he seemed to get into life threatening situations like this, Capella couldn't help but worry. But, for now, there was nothing to be done but to protect him from whatever else might be lurking in the area, even if the one she wanted most sorely to kill had already fled.

"Good. You seem to be unharmed," The Dragoness observed, rising and releasing her charge. "Be more careful next time, however. Now that you're my Hoard, I won't stand for you getting yourself hurt or killed, alright?" Despite herself, Capella couldn't help but emphasize the last of these sentences, noticing that Khrae had just returned to the courtyard, and would doubtless be in earshot. After all, the very first contract she'd made with Dante was to unite in the hopes of finally managing to break the stuck up gentleman's ever-present composure, and she intended to follow through on that promise, just as she intended to follow through on her intents to claim the boy as her own possession...

Khrae

Khrae looked up from where he was leaning against the wall as Armen entered. Raising an eyebrow at the young man, the older swordsman watched with stoically as he attempted to make his way to the girl, though it seemed he wasn’t entirely in full possession of his motor skills. Whether that was still caused by the magic which had plagued him so, or simply because his body was still adjusting from shock in combat, Khrea didn’t know. Nevertheless, he admired the elf’s tenacity and loyalty.

Closing his eyes and leaning his head back now, Khrae heaved a quiet sigh, allowing himself to relax if only for a moment. The man still had plenty to worry about, and later he’d make sure to allow time for meditation. As it was, it seemed his charge had been claimed by the Dragoness, Capella. It took nearly all of the man’s will power to not cut short their little endeavor then and there when he heard the news, and to not simply hand Dante over to one of the clan elders. As it was, the man still wasn’t sure if he’d chosen the right course by allowing the charade to continue, but to take Dante away from Capella now could be fairly disastrous in more ways than one.

Khrae of course respected the Dragoness enough to acknowledge her simple words, and while he himself didn’t take to heart their meaning as she did, he still wouldn’t invoke any anger from her. Dante, who obviously knew nothing of what was happening on account of calling Capella his girlfriend, shouldn’t be caught between whatever trouble would surely arise. The boy had a knack for getting himself into these situations, but never ones that measured up to this caliber. As it was, Khrae could at least have some peace of mind in knowing that, without him around, Dante would still be kept in good condition; however kept out of trouble was something else entirely. Khrae didn’t have an answer, but he made note to meditate on the subject later.

"Thank you. You did not have to do anything."

Without moving, Khrae opened his eyes and looked down to Armen. Offering a tired smile, the man nodded to the young elf. “Think nothing of it,” he answered simply, closing his eyes and resting his head on the wall again. “I merely did what was necessary, just as you would have.” That said, Khrae decided to stand now, feeling as though he needed to move in order to find something soft to collapse on, as well as to give Armen a little more privacy with the girl. Sebastian was watching over a fellow guild member while Khrae was an outsider. No matter how close they may or may not have become, the man still felt it right to make himself scarce for now, at least until needed. It suited him more anyway.


Donning his heavy, fire-patterned cloak, Khrae moved silently to the door, but stopped just before exiting. “You did a good job, whatever you did,” Khrae stated without turning around, “Fukayna is lucky to have such a great friend as yourself. Natural talent can only go so far compared to a good dose of determination.”

With that Khrae made his leave, though called back one last time. “I shall be in the courtyard if you require assistance with anything, Sebastian!”

A quiet serenity was what Khrae required right now. He’d deal with Dante and that entire debacle later, after he meditated.


Valentino

Valentino detested horses. In fact, Valentino detested most things that weren’t human, and even then he wasn’t particularly fond of them. As it was, he’d barely heard Fay’s announcement of their progress, having been too busy trying to forget that he was on such a foul beast, and that each of its clippity-cloppity steps caused the worse case of motion sickness he’d ever experienced. With his arms wrapped tight around Fay’s waist, and with himself constantly swaying back and forth in such a dizzying rhythmic matter, the mage could barely maintain the veil he’d cast earlier, one that suggested that his grip was merely a loving hold.

It was about now that he’d wished he’d taken up other means of study in the fields of magic. Besides his illusions, he had only a small arsenal of other combat based styles, having adopted them after one mage had decided that their magic was stronger than his, thwarting his little games. Teleportation it seemed would be even more necessary, but that was a level all its own. While Valentino was powerful, all that power went to the task of enchanting, containing and then taking even more sources of power.

“I don’t think I thanked you properly for saving me. And helping me get my weapons back,” Fay continued. “Thank you, Valentino.”

Did Valentino really have to talk? Ugh. The mage put on a smile, even though she couldn’t see him behind her. He hoped he could continue this illusion enough that his voice didn’t mirror how awful he felt. “It was my pleasure, Fay. Ag—a mis-mistress in need is what all men live foo—rr.. Bleh… Ugh…”

Valentino wasn’t enjoying himself at all. He absolutely couldn’t stand the beast, and he definitely wouldn’t make a habit of using them as means of transportation on a daily basis. It was right about now that he was thankful he rarely had to travel, and when he did, he would never complain about walking anymore.

“Dear lord,” Valentino said, “Oh, stop this infernal thing for the love of the order of Vyldi!”

Did the horse understand him? That would be terribly bad if it did, because it was at just that moment when it whinnied, shook its mane, and then snorted. Valentino in response screamed and flipped backwards, falling several feet to the hard ground. Perhaps it wasn’t entirely that he disliked animals, but rather was afraid of them.

Landing with a rather solid thud on his back, and flopping awkwardly onto his side, the man finally lost his whatever contents were in his stomach, though to be honest, he didn’t remember eating this morning. Rolling over onto his back, he heaved a deep sigh with a mixture of relief, aggravation and perpetuating dizziness. The only good thing the man could manage to think about right now was that he was off the horse, and that the ground didn’t move. “Son of a… Damn that creature and all like it! Ugh…” Bringing both hands to his face and covering his eyes, he sighed again. “Fay, I suggest we rest here! There’s a lovely field over…” Without looking up or getting off the ground, the man threw one arm to his side in order to point at the pasture which lined both sides of the road. “There.”

Luscious, green, full of flowers and, most importantly, not moving. Valentino was finally content lying in the dirt along the road, and he would’ve stayed there forever in order to avoid not having to mount that beast again, if it hadn’t been for the toad lying directly next to his face when he finally turned his head.

His scream was less than manly, to say the least. Jumping to his feet, the man dismissed everything else as he dusted batted at himself and the air, now screaming random profanities, mixed into other incoherent sounds of annoyance and bewilderment. “God damn… Away, foul … Thing!” Taking a foot, the man kicked delicately at the toad, though it didn’t move. “Go on,” he said, waving his hands at it after having moved to a safe distance of two meters. “shoo! Sickly wart infested bastard!”

Again it didn’t move.

Valentino stepped a wide arc around the creature, then pointed at it, sending a miniature blast of electricity streaking towards it. Only the sight of the creature, roasted and with its guts spilled out, freaked the man even more, invoking another fit of yelling and arm flailing.


Dante

Dante poked Capella curiously, like a child testing to see if what they were looking at was worth playing with. “Hey,” he said devilishly, “want to play a game?” With a grin like a Cheshire cat, he nodded out the window towards Khrae sitting cross legged in the courtyard, eyes closed, entirely oblivious to the world. Taking a finger and putting it to his mouth to signal silence, Dante leapt less than gracefully out the little window. It was the ground floor, so he merely had to clear a foot or two in order to be outside. Unfortunately it seemed that not even that was within his capabilities.

With his foot catching the bottom of the window, Dante found himself falling face first into the thick shrugs which lined the exterior walls of the mansion, and that decorated the perimeter of the courtyard. Rolling spastically and jumping to his feet, he took up a simple melee stance, looking as if that was exactly what he planned to do. Shifting his head back and forth overdramatically like someone searching for another opponent, he smiled as he looked to Khrae, who remained unmoving. Chuckling silently to himself, he nodded to Capella now as he crept forward, his footsteps not at all silent along the stone, towards his master.

Picking up a stick from the shrub he’d massacred upon his entrance, Dante inched ever closer, extending his arm as far as he could with the object until he was within range. It was obnoxious, like a toddler deliberately trying to coax on another into a game of tag, the way Dante moved. Looking back at Capella now and giving a thumbs up with his free hand, he turned back to the older swordsman and took the last step forward that would allow him to reach his mentor’s overly long hair.

Opening his eyes abruptly and standing, Khrae pivoted on the spot, spinning into a standing position while grabbing the stick and flicking it expertly towards Dante. Dante screamed and ran childishly, leaping back through the window, with enough clearance this time, before disappearing down the hall. Khrae simply shook his head as he sat down once again.

After having run a safe distance across the mansion, Dante stopped, snickering to himself. He’d nearly gotten a heart attack from Khrae’s sudden movements, yet at the same time knew it was coming. It was always fun to see just how far he could push the man, and even cooler the way Khrae could do things with such precision. Dante would one day reach that level and beyond, but only after he was sure that it wouldn’t turn him into a sour-puss too. Taking a moment to calm himself, Dante looked around, frowning. He needed something else to do…

Locating Capella again, he grabbed her, dragging her towards a corner.

“Shh,” he said quickly, before she could respond to any of his actions. “Mercenary Capella, you’re being hired to conduct operations with myself on a hostage rescue mission. Do you accept?!” Looking around, Dante acted as if his games were entirely serious, and that they were in danger of being overheard, requiring urgency. “Should you choose to accept, you shall come with me back to Ro’ell in order to reclaim subject F, captured by mages… What say you?”

Watching as her finally consensual possession went about his little game, the Dragoness couldn't help but chuckle at what she saw, perching on the edge of a nearby windowsill and observing Dante's actions with a triple sense of curiosity, amusement, and somewhat poignant nostalgia. His actions, comical in their rather over the top appearance, seemed to Capella like an all-too-plain parallel to the attitude of a hatchling Dragon, trying at the same time to emulate the dignity of its peers whilst acting upon the playful and whimsical feelings that governed a young drake's mind. Yes, that carefree, boisterous, clumsy, and yet somehow proud and noble existence... it was one she herself must have held, a long, long time ago. Yet, if she had once lived in such a manner, Capella could not hope to obtain the slightest recollection of that past life. The memories that existed within her mind contained no such record of hatching and living as a Dragon - or even, in fact, being born and growing up amidst Humans. Loathsome though that thought might have been, it still would have been preferable to the incessant hell that she did recall, as much as it hurt her pride as a Dragon to admit that. After all, to even acknowledge that state of ultimate brokenness, of disgusting, helpless servility as her own history was a far greater insult to what dignity she could yet muster than even what should have been her single greatest shame, looking at things from the perspective of a Dragon.

It's strange, though. Surely I didn't just start existing one day in my current state, so why is it that my memory fails me so? Part of me is... Human. When was it born? From whence did it come? How did it come to be a part of me? And as for the rest of me, how did an Elder Grey Dragon like myself come to be a Human? How did I even survive as a Dragon at all? My entire tribe is dead, so how exactly do I still exist in any form, let alone in this one? It makes no sense, that a Dragon who should be dead somehow came instead to be fused with such a loathsome creature as a Human, let alone one with no memories of her past life. I don't understand. I just don't understand it! I am myself. That's all I can know for sure.

Capella sighed, glancing away from the courtyard as her hoard ran from his mentor, alternatively giggling childishly and shouting in surprise and feigned fear, like a Drake challenging its father in jest, then running away, another image that should have been nostalgic to her, but instead brought to mind only confusion and regret. She didn't want to think about that, and so instead turned her attention to her current situation. By simply focusing on the present, the Dragoness had found long ago that she could momentarily escape the past, even if she couldn't erase it. On the other hand, this diversion did little to assuage her wounded pride, thanks to the fresh insult that had only just been dealt her. Indeed, their current situation was rather unpleasant to think about, as well, with the individuals the Humans here were searching for being nowhere to be found, and themselves faced with powerful and troublesome adversaries. But, abruptly, these thoughts were suddenly pushed aside in favor of a new and surprising revelation. Capella's amber eyes widened slightly in surprise and confusion, for she suddenly realized something she hadn't noticed before. Ever since the day where she had stumbled upon the boy, Dante, and his mentor on the forest path to Lethandrill, her world had begun to grow larger. For as long as she could remember, the Dragoness had lived alone, yet on that day, she'd made a contract with two Humans on a whim, and they had become her allies. Those allies then made their own alliance, and Capella's world had grown even larger as more and more people had entered it. She couldn't say exactly when it had happened, but to her surprise, the Dragoness realized that she had surrounded herself with mortals, becoming a part of a circle of allies the likes of which she'd never even thought of before. And, moreover, although some of them were greatly insulting and annoying to her, like the Naville witch who had coddled her and tried to steal her hoard, and others didn't trust her, like the swordsman Khrae, she realized that, for the time being, they felt the same about her: that she was an unexpected, but welcome ally. Capella wasn't sure how to think about that. All of the Humans she had known had thought of her as an abomination that didn't have any place in this world. And yet these mortals... they had welcomed her? At first, she hadn't actually realized it. But, although she still didn't want to admit it to anyone, Capella couldn't help but acknowledge the fact that these were, without a doubt, her allies.

Hmph. I must be getting sof- Just then, however, the Dragoness' train of thought was interrupted by a hand suddenly placing itself on her wrist, tugging at it. Glancing down, she noticed Dante standing next to her, and it became almost immediately apparent that the boy wanted something. Not one to deny an audience with her own hoard, Capella gave a silent nod in response to his gesticulations, and hopped down from the windowsill. It was fortunate for her that she had responded so promptly, for in the next instant, Dante gave a sudden pull on her arm that actually managed to nearly take her balance, causing her to stumble hastily after him, cocking her head curiously at the apparent urgency of the matter at hand.

That is, until he actually explained things to her. Then curiosity gave way to frustration, irritation, and a feeling of slight insult. Although Dante evidently thought he was being mysterious about this whole important mission business, it wasn't at all difficult to see through his rather obvious choice of code words.

You're kidding me. Is he serious?! I do him the honor of making him my hoard, and not twenty minutes later, he's asking me to go help that witch?! Don't tell me he's still pining after her. Does he really think that he can serve two masters without slighting either? Dante... you... idiot! The Dragoness thought angrily, clenching a scaled fist in irritation at the naive boy's indecisive attitude. However, to her surprise, Capella found that the foremost emotion she felt at this indirect offense to her pride wasn't anger, it was... disappointment? Maybe she had expected more of him, she supposed. For him to try exploit her contract with him to go and run off with that Naville, Capella couldn't help but feel not only betrayed herself, but also in her expectations of the boy.

But, on the other hand, as much as she hated to admit it, she had made a contract with these Humans. Even her. It was now her duty to assist and protect them, and the Naville was certainly likely to be in danger. Besides, she had a feeling that the boy would try to go and rescue her even if she refused to help him, and that would only put him in danger. Furthermore, if she herself was present, she might hopefully be able to keep Dante in line. He was her treasure, and she needed to make sure that both Dante and the Naville witch understood that fact. So, sighing, Capella felt her shoulders slump slightly as her fist slowly unfolded and she gave a slight nod.

"You really are hopeless, even for a Human," The Dragoness sighed, shaking her head slightly and giving a wry smile. Although her words were rather condescending, her tone was more one of teasing than outright insult. The air of resignation in her voice, nevertheless, showed that she wasn't happy with this course of action, even if she was willing to aid Dante in its execution. "Still, I suppose it's my job to help you with this. I take it that we leave immediately before the stuck up one decides to see what mischief you're getting into?"

Khrae

Khrae sat motionless in the courtyard, contemplating what he'd just experienced. The answers he received through his meditation were usually fairly cryptic and ambiguous, but this... With a heavy sigh, the man closed his eyes again, allowing his mind to clear once more. He wouldn't continue his meditation, but instead he decided that he'd focus on trying to make sense of--

'You must hurry, in that condition you won't last long.'

Yes, that.

.. Wait.

Khrae opened his eyes again, looking around in a bewilderment. No, it couldn't be... But, yes. There it was again, that voice. Had he really just heard that voice again? It was ancient, dark and powerful, but most importantly, it was still talking.

...Why was it still talking?

Perhaps then it was someone else... Someone who was speaking, but they had managed to break through the man's concentration, their words thus becoming distorted... But the courtyard was empty. It had been so ever since Dante had attempted one of his usual tricks, and the man was certain that this couldn't be just another of the boy's games. Besides, the man's concentration wasn't something easily broken. For whatever reason he'd received this particular message, and normally that wouldn't be strange in the least, as he usually openly accepted whatever answers he was granted, but then normally they didn't follow him out of his meditated state. Albeit the words were fainter now, but he still heard them nonetheless.

'Be wary of those cloaked in black, my little elf.'

Elf?

"Khrae!"

Sebastian had burst out of the double doors, his gaze looking wildly around for the man. The room where the elf was with the assassin Fukayna was right above them, the window shook violently before shattering and letting loose a loud 'boom'. It lasted only for a second, but the pressure that flooded the courtyard held the same feel as the magic that had exploded in the mansion just the other day. Sebastian ducked on impulse before looking up over to the window.

"The elf! Can you do anything?"

Khrae stood quickly, pushing a hand through his hair to straighten it from the sudden explosion of energy as he looked up to the window overhead. While the voice he'd just heard wasn't at all familiar, that surge of power was something he was acquainted with, even if only for a few brief moments. It was the same energy that had crippled Armen the previous day, and Khrae can't say that he was particularly happy to have to deal with it again. With a quick nod to Sebastian, the swordsman wasted no time in bolting towards the now opened doors, allowing the older assassin to lead the way up to the young elf's room.

Wait.. Elf? Armen.. Was it just a coincidence, or... No.

Not important. Khrae dismissed the thoughts for now, feeling that it would be better to interpret these occurrences later, when he could focus better. More pressing was the matter of the state that he found Armen in as he burst into the room. Indeed he was bursting with the same power as previously, and again he appeared to be experiencing the same horrific effects. Moving quickly, the swordsman knelt on the floor next to the young elf, putting a hand against his forehead, giving him a quick look over, and lightly placing two fingers on his neck to check his heart rate. He seemed to be okay, other than the probably excruciatingly uncomfortable feeling that must accompany having a great source of power forcing itself from ones body like an overstressed meat bag.

The fact that an elf had an untapped innate magic was nothing new or particularly shocking, but what worried Khrae was the volatile state it seemed to rest in, and then the potency it possessed when released. Whether or not the power was stronger than last time, Khrae couldn't tell right off-hand, but the man set to work anyway in trying to contain it. It was all he could do for now, and he only wished that it wasn't having any unfavorable side-effects. A powerful mage would probably know what to do better than himself, but it had worked once before and it was all he could offer until he found a way to safely channel the power out in a less explosive manner.

Tracing two fingers up from Armen's neck onto his forehead, Khrae closed his eyes, now searching for where the power was strongest within its vessel. Gently the man placed his other hand just over the young elf's chest, then closed his eyes, beginning his prayers.

Several moments later and Khrae was almost literally blown back away from Armen. While he did manage to put enough energy into the young elf to hopefully clear or suppress his power, the man's own had seemed to escape him, exploding back in his face as if hitting suddenly a brick wall. Normally the Khrae wouldn't have allowed that much to seep in, and if it did, he'd of kept control of it, but he'd allowed himself to slip, momentarily distracted by something which gave him great reason to worry.

Coughing and sputtering, Khrae moved slowly, his entire body suddenly aching not only from accepting all that power, but from having it suddenly reverse back on himself. Rolling onto his side, the man propped himself up on one elbow, trying to support himself as he stood up off the floor, all the while attempting to regain control of his body, suddenly shaking. His chest was tight, as were all his muscles, and the man spent a good amount of time simply leaning against the wall, blinking and coughing until he simply couldn't anymore. Resignedly, he simply allowed himself to press his back against the door frame, then slide down exhaustively.

Looking back up to Sebastian, he offered a weak smile and shrug, then found himself grasping at his stomach as it felt like a hot blade were suddenly piercing his abdomen.

"Ahh, Damnit.." Khrae gasped through clenched teeth. Several seconds and it passed, and the man allowed himself to go limp as he looked to Armen. Still more or less panting, the Khrae blinked again, nodding. "Heh...Agh.. Hopefu-Hopefully that'll hold..." Once the man was in control of himself again, he'd discuss with Sebastian what he had just experienced. It was definitely no coincidence, and that was definitely one of the cloaked figure's voices.

Damned mages, Khrae huffed.

"Damn," the old assassin huffed as he leaned heavily against the doorway near Khrae, "I'm getting to old for this..." Sebastian sighed, "Mages hu? Don't like the sound of this. It would be better if Jennifer or Lord V'lyn were here. In any case, looks like the elf is better. At least for the moment. What about you? That was quite a hit there."

Khrae sighed, shaking his head and waving a dismissive hand. His breathing was becoming easier, and at least he didn't feel like his heart was trying to rip itself from his chest. "Fine," he commented simply, "Just... Got away from me.."

With another huff, the man pressed up against the wall, forcing himself to stand. "We should get Armen to a place where he can rest..." Khrae said tiredly, "Then we should really discuss something concerning..." The man looked to Fukayna, then back to Sebastian, hoping that perhaps he could convey the importance without having to say anything that could possibly worry the poor girl. Until some sense was made of all this, it was no use causing unnecessary trouble. Plus, Khrae wasn't even sure what it concerned... Perhaps Sebastian could help him decipher what had just happened, but the man wasn't about to make any assumptions pertaining to any coincidences that may or may not be just that.

Moving towards the young elf, Khrae knelt to gather him, but just before the man had a chance to do anything, a thought suddenly struck him. One that, by decree of the clan, required more attention than anything else the man had to worry about. "Have you seen Dante?" Khrae inquired suddenly.

"Dante? The little runt that's always causing trouble? No, haven't seen him," Sebastian answered, an eyebrow lifting slightly, "I thought the little trouble maker was with you..." the old assassin muttered.

Pushing off the doorway, he motioned for Khrae to follow him with Armen in tow, "You can put him back in the room he was in earlier to rest, then we can talk in the hall if you wish."

Khrae moved sluggishly, if a bit lethargically, nodding as he picked up Armen and moved from Fukayna’s room, following the old assassin. His meditation had only just settled his mind and body, returning him to a refreshed and rejuvenated state, but it seemed that fate refused to allow him any time to lounge in such comforts. Even before he’d completed his meditation, someone or something insisted on gathering his attention, and not seconds afterwards, he was forced to resort to his clans Sacred Powers once again. Of course that’s not to say that the man wouldn’t waste any time in doing it again, but the physical toll was extremely strenuous, and already the man felt as though he’d aged several more years.

The man was still in his youth, however, especially when compared to some Clan Elders, but already his joints ached, his back and neck felt stiff, and his muscles burned. He knew that there were always some unfavorable side-effects, and the man could suffer through the momentary discomfort usually without batting an eye. What he didn’t look forward to were the complications that would arise later in life, most pressing of said issues being a shortened time one had in this world. Khrae wasn’t at all afraid of death seeing as he was vastly, if not entirely, a spiritual man, but the clan was dedicated to perfecting the mind to such a caliber and degree that could only be attained from the longest, purest life. Such a long, fulfilling life could only be obtained through the strictest of guidelines in every way each clansman conducted themselves.

Reading supplied the clansman with the knowledge to produce a mind sharper than any blade. Training induced discipline as each man and woman honed their abilities. Everything a clansman did was dedicated to progressing forward, with nary a move put towards counter-productivity. No action, spoken or otherwise, could ever be taken back, no mistake was affordable. The precision of the body, a blunt tool to be guided by the mind was trained to move expertly, each and every movement adequately assessed before enacted. The highest of the clansman seemed to always float, rather than walk. Carried with a certain grace, even the art of taking a step was perfected so that the hindering pauses and unnecessary undulation of the body as weight was transferred from one foot to the other was surpassed. No time was wasted, and speed, as well as every other factor, was constant. Finally, meditation synchronized everything, and even the action of remaining still in an ever changing world was turned into a constant and steady advance ahead.

Combined, a clansman was then granted access to divine enlightenment and further development under careful tutelage from the ancestors, granting abilities obtained by only the most dedicated. Such a gift was truly just that, and a carefully guarded one, not to be employed for selfish reasons, but in order to better the clan as a whole. Skilled in the complete and utter control of this power, the Clan Elders wielded it with enough efficiency as to destroy, to heal, to move, and to think. Spiritual energy. It was much more natural and refined than the raw magic these mages wielded…

Khrae contemplated this all the while he walked, knowing well that, while he was strong, he still had a great distance to travel in order to even think of matching the level of the Clan Elders. His path was then detoured even more with the acceptance of the task of guiding the free-spirited Dante, but he trusted that the Ancestors plans would surely pay off in the long run. With that thought in mind, and after having put Armen safely back in his room, the man met Sebastian in the hall.

Looking at the older assassin, Khrae sighed, sincerely unsure of where to even begin. The explanation of such a thing as what he’d happened to stumble upon was beyond him, but nevertheless, the man took a shot.

“First of, let me start by saying I’m still working on attempt to decipher what any of this means. To put it into words seems nearly implausible, so I’d like to try something. It must be witnessed and experienced first-hand.” Deciding that this was the best course of action, Khrae nodded, though it was more to encourage himself than Sebastian. The assassin was obviously a well-learned man, and so the swordsman had no doubt that he would have no trouble in conveying to him the bewildering greatness of what he’d intercepted. He still had yet to solidify in his mind that it involved Armen, but that was simply because the man never made assumptions without good reason. Of course it wasn’t that he didn’t have a good reason to assume so, but he also had a moment to stop and fully comprehend the situation, as well as employ a third-party.

“Now then,” Khrae continued casually, “have you ever meditated?”


Dante

Under normal circumstances, Dante would’ve been too naïve to notice the look Capella seemed to adopt when he mentioned the details of his plan to her. Under normal circumstances, Dante would’ve been completely oblivious to a look of betrayal, seeing as how, being the embodiment of innocence and so care-free, such a term was a lost art. That’s not to say that he didn’t have the ability to comprehend when someone wasn’t being entirely honest, nor to understand why someone would be angry, but more so he simply always got too distracted by all the other joys of life that so easily outweighed the little things. When he did something wrong, if it was accident, he obviously never meant for it, and unless outright told, never picked up on it; if on purpose, it was usually in good-humor, never malicious intent.

Of course, seeing as this was indeed normal circumstances, Dante remained completely turned off from Capella’s displeased look, only acknowledging her, albeit resigned sounding, acquiescence. With an overjoyed smile, Dante allowed only a moment for himself to be lost in an overwhelming sense of joy, grasping tight the Dragoness and embracing her in a bear hug. A moment later though, he returned to his feigned seriousness, though the playful undertone was blatantly obvious.

Crouching again, with his arms spread to either side as if ready to accept an attack or flee at a moment’s notice, Dante’s head swung back and forth before he began moving not at all silently towards the Guildhouse’s exit.

“Day one,” Dante began speaking quietly, in-between his unnecessary jumps across the hall to hide in doorways, mimicing stealth, “we’ve begun our campaign to capture subject F. Dante, witty, cunning, clever and… uhm. Smart guy… Heh. Has enlisted the help of Capella, the … something or other… capr.. capreshe? Caprishush? Dragonness….”

Running loudly across the hall once more, Dante glanced back at Capella, nodding and giving a thumbs up before spinning around the corner, adopting a fighting stance in order to combat the vacancy he found himself staring at. “The way is clear for now… Enemies lurk. Khrae, the evil, grumpy troll is around… somewhere… With any luck, we can escape his dreaded castle and return to the task at hand!”

Jumping forward, Dante landed awkwardly on his side and rolled comically a few feet, before army crawling and finally dashing to the mansion entrance. Pressing his back against the wall again, he peered through the door to the outside world.

“No guards or sentries… Why say you, Capella?!” Looking back to the Dragoness, Dante waited for her response before continuing outside, wasting no time in karate chopping a random bush and then drawing his sword and hacking away at a stump, shouting out random battle cries before running across the grass, as if being chased by enemy soldiers. His games caused him to momentarily forget that he’d left his sword impaled into the truncated piece of wood.

Rushing back, Dante spent another second or two attempting to pull his blade free, landing on his back as it finally came loose. Standing and attempting to cover the embarrassment, Dante swung the blade around and pointed down the road they had come from the previous day. “Come, Capella!” he called probably too loudly, “Our mission awaits!”


Valentino

Valentino inspected the spot Fay had chosen for him carefully. No bugs, toads, horses… Just dirt. Dirty dirt. Blech. Inwardly wincing and rolling his eyes, the man hated for his beautifully flawless white attire to be stained, and so he held up a graceful finger as an idea occurred to him. It was just enough to distract him from his previous uproar, as well as help impress the beautiful new target he’d acquired.

“One moment, darling” he offered charismatically. Turning, the man walked several paces before coming to a stop. With a blue glow emenating from his fingertip, he drew a square in the air, then began filling in details containing a large circle with several smaller ones inside it, decorated with odd runes. It was a less conventional means of magic, but definitely a more enticing one. It was mysterious and interesting to watch, and usually came with just as good results as if he were to cast a simple spell without the showmanship. Conjuration of a rock entity or whatever else was difficult, but the picnic which appeared was honestly a low-level trick. Easy mastery and it came in handy more times than most cared to acknowledge. Especially during the lonely nights when Valentino was too lazy to actually cook something.

What was laid out after a short chant was simple yet romantic. Atop a plain purple blanket embroider whimsically in gold hearts and vines sat several modest platters of cheese, meats, and some fruits. A small candle sat in the center, burning a strange pink, rather than yellow. Easy, and in truth, the only thing that Valentino could produce. But his inability to do anything other than illusions, short of this and a few other miscellaneous spells, was irrelevant. Honestly this wasn’t entirely a spell, but more of a summoning. Encrypted in a tome amongst several other locked away treasures, Valentino had sealed this spell away, enjoying his ability to use it whenever he wished, without ever running short of supply.

“I know how much you must want to be continuing on, but it’s no use traveling on an empty stomach. Why don’t you tell me a little more about yourself and these friends while we immerse ourselves in a snack? Hmm?”

With a wink, Valentino took Fays hand to help her up and relocate her to the purple fabric laid out over the grass. With a gentle kiss on the back of her hand, he gestured for her to sit.

“A little conversation never hurt,” Valentino said casually, taking a seat next to his newfound treasure. “And I’d love to hear about these people you were traveling with. They sound like an interesting group, despite leaving you behind.”

Despite the irritation she felt, the Dragoness couldn't help but grin sardonically as she watched the boy's rather comical display. Capella, being a Dragon, knew very little of stealth, but even she was fairly sure that this wasn't how you went about leaving a building without being noticed, a fact she had become unshakably aware of around the fifth time Dante had opened his mouth to either narrate his own actions or to shout at a particularly menacing shrubbery. Then again, perhaps that was the very fact Dante was banking on? Surely, anyone who saw him right now would never guess that he was trying not to be seen, so they would just discount his rather unusual actions as being just a few more unremarkable examples of his own personal brand of shenanigans. Nobody would ever guess that he was actually trying to slip away when he was acting like this. In fact, they'd probably just ignore him. So, did that mean that he was actually planning this out? If that was the case, then Capella was certainly impressed by his sheer audacity and cunning. Then again, perhaps she was thinking this through a little too far.

Capella sighed. As usual, she couldn't tell if she was in the company of a carefree boy, or a manipulative genius. It didn't matter either way, though, she supposed. If the boy was secretly a genius and was fooling even her, it merely made her all the more proud of her Hoard. And, if he simply did not care, then it simply meant that it was her job to do the thinking in his place. In either case, Capella realized, she was satisfied merely with Dante's company. It was somewhat odd, when she thought about it, that it had ended up this way. When she had first appeared on the forest path, and had encountered Dante there, she had merely meant it to be a brief fling into Human society to amuse herself by toying with the sensibilities of the two mortals she had stumbled across. Yet, from almost the moment she had joined them, she had found herself unable to leave, fixated by the strangeness of the company she had become a part of. Like a moth drawn to a flame, the new warmth she had experienced in the boy's kindness had captivated her, and she had found it impossible to turn her attention to anything else. From almost the moment she had met Dante, although perhaps she hadn't noticed it at the time, something had changed within her. No longer was she simply sinking in an endless sea of meaningless time, too tired, too bored, too alone to even bother opening her eyes and trying to live her life. Suddenly, she had found that, almost before she had known it, she was no longer lonely.

Pushing these thoughts aside as her Hoard called out to her, Capella merely chuckled quietly and followed after him. She supposed that, even if he didn't realize now that she would be relying on him to stave off that old sense of solitary despair in the future, it was alright to allow him some level of freedom. There was no need to shut him up in a cave like a more material belonging. He was her possession, after all, and no matter where he went or who tried to claim him, that fact wouldn't change so long as she was by his side. Such was the nature of a Dragon's Hoard.

"I take it that it would be preferable to avoid a several day long trek back the way we came," Capella said rhetorically. "And I should also think that it would be more convenient to us to leave this place quickly before our absence is noticed." Getting these comments out of the way by way of explanation, she stepped forward, and, gently as she could - she even went to the trouble of dismissing the scales coating her hands, instead relocating them to her stomach, which as of yet had remained bare - slipped her arms underneath those of the boy. Taking hold of his shoulders by this means, she spread her wings.

"So," She continued in a quieter voice, given her proximity to Dante's ears. "As I am a very generous Dragon, and as it is convenient to us both, I'm more than willing to carry you. What say you, Dante?" Adding this last query on more as an echo of his own words a moment before, Capella nevertheless made the notable concession of refraining from taking off until she received his confirmation - a surprisingly polite gesture, coming from a Dragon. Given the boy's attitude, however, Capella held little doubt as to what his answer would be. She just hoped he wouldn't pull on her tail this time. Although the experience hadn't been painful - on the contrary, the sudden, unexpected jolt of sensations had been almost exhilarating, in a certain way - the boy's actions had felt very uncomfortable, somehow, not to mention embarrassing, which was a feeling that the rather shameless Dragonness was not particularly well acquainted with, nor was it an emotion she particularly desired to experience again. But, of course, given his perpetual energy and curiosity, Capella held no doubts that he would certainly find some way to make her feel ashamed over the course of a several hour long period of clinging to her body several hundred feet above the ground. Sighing, she merely did what she could, and braced herself for what was bound to be a "unique" experience.

Valentino & Impending Doom/Approaching Company

Valentino was traveling with the god’s speed, augmented with a not-so-modest amount of magic as he sped to the safety of his own domain within the city of the mages. Preservation of face, both metaphorically if he could evade the scrupulous eyes of the wily assassin head and his malicious and vivacious mage counterpart and act as if he were never involved in their ordeals, as well as literally, were on the line and Valentino valued his physical prowess. It certain wouldn’t aid him in any such manner if Jennifer skinned him alive and then reattached his exterior in some form other than that which was correct. Valentino shuddered at the thought, his pacifistic and untainted mind not akin to thoughts of mutilation or deformation, or at least not as much as his adversaries, not in the least.

A noble endeavor as it was, it just wasn’t Valentino’s cup of tea. He vowed to return to collect his prize nevertheless, but not at this moment. In the distance he knew rested his sanctuary. A relative target which held a buffer zone of other mages behind which Valentino could remain concealed from prying eyes. He was so close, and the man felt his heart suddenly sink as the silhouettes on horseback found their formation, the dark forms being painted in as they drew closer.

Valentino stopped mid-run as his worst fears were recognized. Why were the gods so goddamn annoying in their perpetual games of karma and irony, always so choicely timed as to benefit no on other than themselves? Although Valentino knew that if he were a god, his past time would most likely involve ruining the lives of those who held no power to say otherwise. Currently, however, Valentino was no such omnipotent entity, nor did he have any such reserves to combat such a being, or even the one which was presented before him now.

Mid-stride and paused with one foot held just over the ground, his arms flailing either fore or aft, Valentino conducted an about-face. No, wait… They were going that way, and that way held his abandoned prize that would no doubt have a torrent of questions under which he’d suffocate and suffer beneath upon their next meeting… That and Jennifer and Talon were going in that direction, and they’d no doubt meet up. But then, could he go this way and pass unnoticed? No, impossible… Unless…

Valentino stood in the middle of the road, looking like a chicken without its head as he contemplated what his next course of action would be. Continue, run back, run to the side, dig a hole?! Damnit! Magic… No… Shit. They’re getting closer!

Oh, right, magic! He’d just said that… Er, who cares! Valentino decided finally to employ a hardy cloak of subterfuge in the form of spells and incantations. And, go!

In the amount of time it had taken him to adequately don an appropriate disguise he’d shifted through about five forms, all illusion-based of course. To a child it might have been comical seeing a man first dressed in all white shift into a tree of the wrong species for the surrounding environment, then to an overly lithe woman whose only substantial girth was within her ostentatiously bulbous chest and posterior, then to a mouse, only for the man to once more appear, shrieking this time as he relished not being such a foul vermin, and then finally to a raggedly-clothed farmer with a large straw hat beneath which he concealed his face as he prodded at a patch of make-believe food with a sword, but to anyone else, it simply looked absurd. A moment later a strawberry bush appeared, and the sword was replaced with a sickle, and Valentino had no doubt blown his cover, but he stuck with it nonetheless as this notoriously dangerous duo rode closer atop their steeds.

It’ll work… It will. No, they saw me. But they’d been pretty busy in their discussion earlier… Or,… perhaps he’d attracted their attention?! Damnit! No, … Shit, shit, shit…. Jennifer can see through most illusions, or was that one of the myths which further accentuated the beautiful mystifying beauty of this woman? Could Talon tell? Would they even bother with… what was he again?

In all actually, Valentino was simply standing, rigid as a fence post, with his arms adhered to his sides and heels locked firmly together like an overly dramatized soldier at attention. Magic was useful in that manner, such that the caster could remain as they were allowing others to see something entirely different. Valentino only hoped that in his panicked frenzy he hadn’t given himself away, or that his thick “manly” perfume which could cause anyone to asphyxiate within a miles radius wouldn’t be detected through his not-so-cleverly-conceived veil. Only time would tell…

Did he just lose focus and shift into a tree again, or had his feigned farmer simply turned into a statue of a farmer poking a bush of… pigeons – with a sickle? Damnit.


Dante & Capella

Capella spoke in a lot of fancy words. In a way it was alluring, in a way annoying, but also made Dante want to live up to par with her elo…quincy? Eloquency? Eloquence… Dante wasn’t sure of the grammar, or even if he were simply imagining what he thought was a cool-sounding word. It was something like that, right? Either way, Dante was now positive that if he could do that too, he’d simply be even more attractive as a suitable partner with which Fay would want to… Co-…cop… copulate? Yeah.. That means sex right? Dante stood up from within a bush as he looked at the sky, an eyebrow arched in profound thought.

Oh well.

He looked to Capella now as she voiced another method of travel which was much faster than his own; especially considering his progress was stymied every two feet by a tree which had to be stabbed, or vicious and dangerously rabid squirrel which, in Dante’s eyes, was in fact a mutant Bear-o-saurous to be slain. He never succeeded, but he nevertheless enjoyed his delusions of grandeur as he continued on narrating his valiant quest. Of course the single part he did decide to omit in his perfuse overflow of his oral orifice was his acquiescence to the Dragoness’ suggestion. She no doubt figured it out after Dante had leaped onto her piggy-back style, then stabbed out at the vacant air ahead and screamed, “Onward! Westward, ho!”

It was times like this when Dante wished he had a cape, or at least one of those fancy robes that the Phoenix Clan elders and Khrea wore so that it could billow behind him as he moved like the wind, and also so that he could look cool when he entered battle. Who doesn’t look cool with a cape? He’d have to steal Khrae’s later. Capella’s hair smelled funny too, he noted idly.

The dragoness sighed, stretching her wings and once again launching into the air. Within a few moments, she had cleared the ground, and both she and the rather hyperactive boy riding on her back were soaring along on the breeze, swiftly vanishing from the sight of any watchful eyes in the guild who might have noticed them. Not that Capella particularly cared if they had been seen or not. If somebody had noticed their flight, then she could outrun them, and if nobody had witnessed their unauthorized trip, then so much the better for them. That meant they'd have a head start, and could get this whole charade over with with the minimum amount of unnesecary trouble.

Still, there was one thing that rather irritated the dragon. Although the position was likely more comfortable for the boy, and, given that he was her hoard, she was willing to make concessions for his sake, she did not particularly like having him sitting atop her back, pointing them in the direction they should go as though she was some sort of stupid horse to be harnessed and forced into compliance. She was a dragon, not a common mount, and the way the boy was beginning to make himself at home riding her was something of an insult to her pride. Furthermore, if she beat her wings too powerfully, she'd just end up slapping him in the head with their tips, considering that he was essentially sitting between them, which would have both made him squirm, making him more difficult to carry, and possibly knocked her off course, both of which would slow her down even more than reducing her usual pace and fluttering her wings a little less so as to avoid striking him accidentally. In any case, for all the inconvenience and insult involved, Capella had half a mind to roll sharply into a dive and shake him off. Or, at least, she would have, were he not her belonging. As it was, shaking him up and risking damage was something she couldn't afford to do. So, although his oblivious antics were beginning to irk her more and more with each passing moment, she had no choice but to put up with Dante's tomfoolery for now.

Idly, Capella mused once again about the boy's unique attitude, wondering why exactly it was she was willing to put up with so much just for one mortal's sake. But, the thought was shameful to her, moreso than usual considering that the boy in question was literally riding her, so she quickly discarded it for the more pleasant thought of heating her scales to a temperature exceeding 200 degrees Celsius so that when the Naville witch next tried to hug her, she'd find herself experiencing a wonderful phenomenon called "spontaneous combustion." Oh, how fun that would be - if only her contract with the rest of the mortals would allow it. In retrospect, she probably should have included a clause in her promise to assist the boy and his fellows that stated that if anybody insulted her, she reserved full rights to reducing them to a particularly blackened pile of roasted meat and ashes. Hindsight was twenty-twenty, it seemed, even for a dragon.

Still, at least he wasn't pulling on her tail. Evidently, her comment about dragons exploding if you did that had more of an impact than she had thought. So, stubborn though he was, the boy could learn. Good. That meant that, if she could just keep her patience with him, she could train him properly in the way that a Dragon's hoard should act. Then again, given enough time, she could probably have boiled the entire ocean, too, so that wasn't really saying much, but the idea of having a pet Human - especially a fun one like the boy - rather appealed to her regardless, which was, perhaps, why she had put up with him for this long. And, since she had started down this course of action, she supposed the most practical path to take would be to see it through. Even if he rode on her back, gave her orders, and tugged on her tail. And... was he sniffing her? What the hell?! She knew Humans didn't have the same standards as Dragons - uncouth mortals that they were - but still, he should have known better than to do something that Dragons most commonly associated with inspecting their property, or appraising a potential mate. Capella flushed at the thought, and gave her wings a particularly mighty beat to increase their speed, hoping the jolt would cause the boy to come to his senses before he continued acting so shameless - a thought the irony of which completely failed to occur to her.

In the distance there was a figure, a random, lone figure. Talon narrowed his gaze as he withdrew his hand from Jennifer's that held the reigns of her horse. As they grew closer, he could feel, not he could taste the magic that poured from this... farmer? The hat certainly fit, but the rest of the ensemble did not. This put the assassin in an even more uncomfortable state. What was this person doing out in the middle of nowhere, and exuding such a powerful presence of power?

Talon flicked the reigns of his steed, making it trot a bit faster. However, as they got closer, it seemed the air was growing thicker. Wincing a bit, he pulled a hand up to his lips as he attempted to breathe better. Having already wasted time in Laowlee -as well as magic- Talon was really in no mood to deal with something else. Dragging on the reigns, he directed the beast to go around the area of thick magic until he could breathe properly. What is with that awfully thick air of magic? he thought to himself with a grimace, eyes narrowed and brows drawn downwards.

Glancing over to Jennifer, he shook his head slightly. They were delayed enough as it was. Should she wish to deal with this... strange being... he would allow it. However, he wished to be in Skyfall sooner rather than later. They needed to catch up with everyone. Still... "Do with it as you please," he said to her. He paused, maybe he should be more specific. She was in a bad mood already. Allowing her free reign once more was probably a bad idea, "Wait, Jennifer. Perhaps we should take him with us. I'm unnerved by this unsettling amount of magic. If you could do something about that heavy presence, though..."

He left that open to her interpretation though. So long as she didn't kill him or anything, he was alright with it. Talon waited until she was finished there and continued on. It wasn't much further that he found the Navile woman walking down the road as well. His gaze widened as he pulled the horse up next to her. Glancing down at her, he lifted an eyebrow. Fay looked up to him and smiled brightly.

"Lord V'lyn, and Lady Jennifer. I'm happy to see you're both alright."

"What happened to you? Why are you here and not in Skyfall?"

"I was separated from the group-" she started to say more but her gaze fell upon the man that was in tow with them. Her eyes widened and she was slightly confused looking, "Um... where did you find him?"

Talon glanced over to the one they'd taken with them, "He was standing in the middle of the road. There was so much power coming from him that it's making me suspicious. So we took him with us. Come on," he offered his hand to her and hauled her up onto the back of the horse, "We'll be making Skyfall by tonight. There's much we have to discuss."

"Yes," she agreed, "There is quite a bit that we have to talk about."

---

He stirred a bit. There was someone else in the room with him, he could feel it. Armen wasn't completely sure how he knew there was someone else, but he could just tell. Maybe it was all those years in service as a guardsman. It made him a bit sensitive to people's presences. Or maybe... it was the strange power that had been unlocked from it's corner inside of him. The elf could just barely feel it stirring. He grimaced a bit as he moved a bit more on the bed, making it very clear that he was awake.

It wasn't until he sat up fully that he noted the figure on the edge of the bed. How long has she been there?! he wondered and thanked the darkness for he could feel his face burning up with embarrassment. The last few memories of his were hazy, but starting to come back through. He recalled having had a strange conversation with a... dragon? Yes, it was a dragon. He could still sense it, just at the corner of his mind. If it was trying to speak to him, he couldn't tell. The distance was too great, that or there was some sort of barrier preventing them from communicating with each other.

"Fukayna..." he said, his voice breathing her name. He felt his heart skip a beat knowing that she'd been there with him, "How long have you been here?"

He felt the question was rather redundant, but asked anyway. He wasn't very good at starting conversations to say the least. Shifting, he pulled his body out from under the sheets and sat on the edge of the bed with her. His fingers curled together in response to the urge that he felt. He wanted to hold her again like he had earlier before he'd dropped with the pain of the uncontrolled magic pulsing through him. Clearing his throat he figured he might as well reassure her, as she was sure to be worried.

"I'm alright, Fukayna. Sorry about earlier. This... power is strange. I don't know what it is or how to handle it. Then there's the dragon now too. He's... insisted that I come for him. I don't know what he want's or what it really means, but I have a impulsive urge to go to him. He's not far either, the mountains just behind the city. I want to wait for Talon and Jennifer though, before we do anything," he sighed slightly before running his hands through his hair.

With a slight laugh he looked over to her in the gloom, a sliver of moonlight slipping into the room from the window's slightly parted curtains. The white light landed on her, putting her in a brilliant light that stole his breath. For a moment he forgot what he was going to say as he gazed at her, completely awe struck.

Finally he shook himself free of the spell that she'd cast over him, "P-perhaps the dragon can do something for this. We may get lucky," he smiled, finishing his sentence just as a knock came on the door.

Without waiting, the door cracked open, making Armen jump slightly. Orange light flooded the room as the tall figure of the old assassin Sebastian came into the room. He nodded almost as if he knew what he was going to find upon opening the door, "Good, you're awake. When you're both ready, come down to the main floor. Lord V'lyn and Lady Jennifer have returned."

Khrae Var

Khrae sat patiently at the entrance of the Skyfall mansion. The man’s posture was erect and well disciplined, with his legs crossed passively and hands neatly resting in his lap. Except for the gentle rise and fall of the man’s stern shoulders with each breath, he was still, listening to the cool air which serenaded to him the sounds of the world around him. Khrae’s conscious was exploring now, his senses perfectly in tune with the delicate murmuring of eager leaves to leap from branches, or the resentful groan of a tree against the strain of the wind. Khrae heard the whimsical call of a singbird, and the rustling of the grass as it stretched for the sky above, yearning for the sun to bless each blade individually. Even the man’s hair, which was tied into a neat ponytail, dared to explore the virtues and secrets of the cool breeze, stands of lose silken black wafting lazily through the air, a cascade of midnight reaching down the man’s back and falling into a bundle on the ground behind him.

Every now and again Khrae heard the dull thud of a knife impact a wooden target, or the grunting of a sparring match taking place in the courtyards. The guild was busy in its task of reclaiming itself since the attack, and so Khrae listened to the sounds of busy work in restoration. In this downtime, the man had allowed himself a moment to reevaluate recent events and reclaim his sense of peace. Dante had of course found some endeavor with which to entertain himself, and seeing as how Khrae could find nobody who could possibly express to him the boy’s current whereabouts, nor could Khrae sense his presence anywhere in the immediate vicinity, he guessed that the boy must have gone adventuring and that Khrae would sooner or later pay for the trouble caused.

Perhaps it was the thought of Dante which had upset the man, or the sudden disturbance in the wildlife which had resulted from the clip-clopping of hooves down the road, but the man found his concentration suddenly broken. Sighing, Khrae opened his eyes, his piercing golden iris shining austere. From down the road the man could make out several figures on a single unlucky horse, with one walking alongside. Khrae’s gaze hardened as the man squinted but remained sitting. Shortly, he could make out Talon, Jennifer, his young charge, and the Navile girl, Fay. The man blinked stoically, and then cocked his head to the fifth figure. It appeared as though they had brought along another. Khrae observed a body in Dante's arms, noting that the man was either dead or unconscious for whatever reason, but he dismissed his curiosity as mere folly. Standing easily, his movements were once more fluid and calm after his meditation, and so he went to alert the guild and meet the party.


Dante & Party

So, okay. The others got to be on horseback and Dante was left carrying this sack of flamboyancy. The boy took the challenge readily though, seeing as how Fay was present, and persisted to display his tenacity and strength by both carrying this unconscious lump of white perfume and keeping up with a horse at the same time… For all of a hundred yards back to Skyfall. Still, considering how heavy the man was, it was an admirable feat. Or Dante was weak. But that couldn’t possibly be it.

Why was this man so heavy anyway? And why did he smell so strongly of magic. Dante often found his concentration fading, and the boy blinked quickly several times to clear his vision of the odd hallucinations he would seemingly walk in to. Was this just because of the man’s magic? Certainly Dante wasn’t just going crazy. Regardless, Dante was happy to drop the figure as soon as they had arrived back at Skyfall. Looking around, several of the guild members had gathered to greet their returning leader, and Dante watched as one of the assassins took hold of the horses’ reins to steady the creature so that the others could dismount. Khrae was present, and so Dante tried to remain aloof. Of course he knew Khrae had seen him, and that Khrae would not bother with him until other priorities were taken care off, but even so, Dante tried to stay out of the man’s immediate line of sight and was already preparing a rapid plan of escape which included as much of an ostentatious display as possible, as well as an over exaggeration of skill level with which to employ his escape.

“Welcome, Talon V’lyn, and Lady Jennifer,” Khrae spoke as he approached, bowing deeply. The man’s gaze drifted over those present, including Dante, which caused the boy a moment of pause as if his lack of motion would result in Khrae to be unable to spot him. Shaking his head, Khrae continued, looking back to the pair.

“I am happy to report the general safety of your guild, but I’m sure Sebastian will be more fitting to supply a proper situation report. Much has happened. I hope that your success has prevailed, and would like to apologize foremost for any trouble Dante may have been.”

“I would just like to point out that I have been helpful!” Dante interjected, having appeared somewhere on Khrae’s left. “I carried him.”

Khrae raised his eyebrow to the boy but made no response. He noted the last statement was said louder with a hint of braggadocio. Dante’s eyes had wandered back to Fay, and it seems his body had followed too. Khrae dismissed it, and nodded towards Talon and Jennifer. “Shall we proceed inside, then?” Khrae offered.


Valentino

Valentino’s eyes moved, staring into darkness. His head was swimming and he was disoriented. For a few moments he looked ahead, confused and dazed until he realized that he hadn’t opened his eyes. Voices were speaking, and people were moving around. He was moving too. He was laying in somebody’s arms. He could feel the rough breath over his hair, and feel the person’s arms supporting his back and legs. How humiliating, the man thought, he was being carried like some passed out damsel. What had happened? He was … wait.

Jennifer. Talon. They were coming towards him. Had? No. Talon wasn’t carrying him? And… Certainly Jennifer wouldn’t. Who. The man strained to open his eyes, squinting against the intrusive sun which seemed to shine far too bright for this time of day. Or, what time was it? Valentino didn’t know. All he knew was that as soon as his eyes had opened the floodgates of the world, he was falling.

Damnit, Valentino thought. Rude! He hit the ground with a thud, the air leaping from his person as his body refused to respond to what his brain told it to do. He was limp, but he could just feel his fingers and toes. He flexed his hand into a tight fist as he lay on the ground, breathing heavily. People were still talking, and dark silhouettes were hiding beyond the glare of the sun overhead. His mind was racing now, trying to ascertain the situation. Why, or what had happened? And why was he dropped.

“Welcome, Talon V’lyn, and Lady Jennifer,” a voice said. Valentino went rigid in response. Damnit. Turning his head, the man’s mind was beginning to clear, and his motor skills returning. He saw Talon and Jennifer, and others. Other assassins. Was he in Skyfall? And. Fay. Damnit. Damnit. Damnit. Damnit. Damnit. Why was she here? Oh… yes. She was going to Skyfall. Damnit!

Valentino groaned and rolled over. He had to pick himself up and leave. But he was too weak. The man strained his arms to push himself up, then fell again, surrendering with his cheek flat against the ground, leaving him to watch the actions of those present. What an odd fellow, Valentino thought has he observed the white-clad man. His hair was obnoxiously long. But he had power. A lot. Valentino could sense it. But it wasn’t magic… It was… just power. But so did Jennifer. And Fay. Valentino was surrounded by power and he could do nothing about it. The boy had said something and pointed to him, apparently he was his bearer, and Valentino groaned again, rolling his eyes. That was what had carried him. Lovely…

… Damnit.

---

Talon brought the horse to a halt as they approached the front of the guild house. His gaze lifted upwards at the large building that was seemingly under repair. It had definitely taken some damage from past fights with enemies that just seemed to be springing up out of the woodwork. His lips pulled into a frown as he regarded his home. At least it wasn't in rubble... that was something to be thankful for, wasn't it?

At his approach, he allowed Fay to dismount first as they were greeted by Khrae. The tall man addressed them as Talon released Fay's arm once she was down off his horse. He dismounted next and reached up for Jennifer, pulling her down into his arms even though he knew she was more than capable of getting down herself. She was most likely still irritated with him and he wanted nothing more than to settle the mage.

After all, an irritated mage was a dangerous mage. Especially Jennifer.

“Welcome, Talon V’lyn, and Lady Jennifer. I am happy to report the general safety of your guild, but I’m sure Sebastian will be more fitting to supply a proper situation report. Much has happened. I hope that your success has prevailed, and would like to apologize foremost for any trouble Dante may have been.”

The assassin looked over to the youth in question and gave a small smile. He nodded to Khrae as he let the reigns of his horse be taken by one of the young stable boys. With one arm wrapped around Jennifer's lean waist, he started forward towards the doors of his home.

“I would just like to point out that I have been helpful! I carried him.”

Reaching out, he patted the boys head, "He was helpful indeed. The horse was overburdened as it was," he commented lightly with a grin and a wink to Dante.

“Shall we proceed inside, then?”

Fay smiled warmly at the boy too, her head tilting a bit as she regarded him. Her dark eyes were warm as she watched him in return. For the Navile woman, Dante was intriguing to say the least. He had power, and she was curious about that. Maybe she would have a chance to talk to him later about it. For now, though, she simply walked up to him, took his arm and gently led him to the guild hall with everyone else.

Talon gave a nod to Khrae and opened the doors for them all to enter into. Upon further inspection, he could tell that something had happened when he'd left and he wondered briefly what it was. The feel of heavy magic was lingering in the air. Looking down to Jennifer, he lifted an eyebrow at her in question. A sound caught his attention and looking to the staircase, he caught Sebastian coming down it with a slight limp to his step.

The old assassin gave them each a nod of respectful greeting, "Lord V'lyn, Lady Jennifer, welcome home."

"It is good to be home. Tell me, what happened?"

Sebastian shook his head with a heavy sigh, "Nothing gets past you," he said as he hit the landing and gestured to the chairs around the hall, "This may take a moment. Also, the elf boy is awake, he'll join us soon."

As prompted, Talon allowed Jennifer to be released from his grip though he did dip down to kiss her cheek gently before he sat with her in one of the chairs. He listened as Sebastian retold what had happened when he'd left to retrieve Jennifer from her kidnappers. Apparently someone had broken into the guild hall and wreaked havoc on it. The elf, Armen, had been attacked specifically and a strange power released from him.

Armen was just barely keeping it under control, and the most recent event was something that Khrae had stumbled upon. They weren't sure but something had contacted the elf. Khrae thought it to be a dragon, but neither assassin or swordsman knew exactly what it was because Armen had been knocked unconscious from the encounter.

Almost as if on cue, the elf came down from the stairs and behind him was Fukayna. The young man took a seat with them when Talon motioned for him to do so. Leaning back, the assassin put his arm up over Jennifer's shoulders and tilted his head as he regarded the elf, "So, what happened? They tell me that a dragon is talking to you."

Armen's eyes grew wide and then he glanced around the room, "Well... yes, I think it is a dragon."

"It's been a long time since dragons picked life long companions, you should feel honored. They are creatures that are on the edge of extinction."

The elf nodded slightly, "He... told me that I should be wary of those in black cloaks. He also said that I need to come to him as soon as possible. That I don't have much time," Armen shook his head a bit, reaching up he ran his fingers through his dark hair, "I don't know what that mean's, but... it must be urgent."

Talon lifted an eyebrow as he glanced to Jennifer. He watched her for a moment. Inwardly he sighed. He'd been hoping he could spend at least the night with the woman. His lips pulled into a frown as he turned back to Armen, "If a dragon says its urgent it usually is. Can you feel him?"

"Yes... I think. In the mountains, just behind Skyfall. He is there, but just barely. It is almost as if he's being cut off from me on purpose."

"It's highly possible..." Talon's gaze darkened as he recalled the trapped dragons underneath Laowlee. With a bit of a sigh, the assassin leaned his head back, "We'll prepare to leave in a few hours," he said making his decision. His silvery gaze turned to the man they'd picked up on the way back to Skyfall. He narrowed his eyes at the white haired man who seemed to look like he'd been trapped by a pack of wolves.

Leaning forward, Talon addressed him, "Now. As for you. You will tell me who you are and why you were so intent on hiding yourself from Jennifer and myself earlier today. What kind of magic is it that you have? I can feel it just sitting here. I should warn you, should you so much as make a tiny increase of that power, I won't be so kind as I was last time."