Main Street (Continued)

Dormon sighed heavily "What the heck is curryency? I said currency, it means what type of money do you use on this world?" He looks at her with tired eyes. it didn't help that he was starving and felt a bit dizzy.

Ebba grew more scared as she timidly rose from behind her couch to look at the now scarier man. "I-I-I don't know what money is...P-P-Please...I-I-I don't like this...I don't k-k-know what curryency or m-m-money is..." Her voice grew weaker as she grew more scared. Of course, three personalities in her head were not very...happy knowing some bastard came up to her and was scaring the living daylights out of her.

"Give me the word Ebba! I'll tear his head off! I'll kick his face in if he does not leave you alone! Supinity growled as she seemed eager just to attack.

"If he trys something I am ready Ebba..." Celeste spoke calmly but there was a hint of irritation in her voice.

"I think we should calm down here...Sure she is scared but its not like he knows how shy she is right? In a few minutes I'm sure he will leave her alone." Lazarus spoke trying to calm the others.

Dormon looked at her "Are you frightened? I'm sorry if you are. Just tell me to go away and that will be it, I just need information about this place. That's it, ok?" He speaks softly, in a warming voice

"If you don't want to talk atleast point me to the most knowledgeable person you know. Ok?" she reminds him off his sister... so shy, cute, but easily broken if not already broken from last night.

Ebba snakingly pointed at Teddy as she pointed at the nice person who was helping her. Of course as the man had a much nicer voice she calmed down ever so slightly.

"Thank you very much" he says warmly. He his 1 eye that works could tell she was still uneasy "Did you live in the Gardens?"

He asks "you seem like someone who would. On my world, only the most beautiful got to live in our Gardens..." he waits and realizes she must not understand "I'm saying you are beautiful too" He looks at her body, bandaged. "If you want, the Knights have healers."

Ebba calmed down a bit more as the man did his best to be nice. Of course as he complimented her she gave a small blush. "U-U-Um...Thanks...I-I-I did sleep in the gardens plenty of...t-times...It was quiet and...nice...B-But I feel...better...T-The Imerial Gurdsman...Helped me...A-And Teddy comforted me..." She replied as she still hid behind the chair.

"Well thank you for the help, I owe you. If you ever need me, just go to a allyway. I'm sure I will be there for the rest of my life." Dormon walks away seeing that Teddy is busy.

It was a sight to behold. Hundreds of jellyfish creatures, glowing golden, floated peacefully down Main Street. They were headed north. They were in no hurry. If you listened close enough, you would hear melodies reverberating from their jellicient masses.

CPO. S-097 Jeff walks down the street

"This sure as hell is not part of the UNSC"

Rodger williams looks around "shit this place is sketchy"

Rodger williams hums

There was no shuddering, no flash of light, and certainly no indicator that he should be here. Yet here he was: Irral, the Corrupted Dragon of Light, First Son of the All-Mother, the greatest Dragon in existence, right where technically he wasn't allowed to be. He towered over the regular populous of the city, standing at twelve feet in height, he was double the height of the average human male, yet he looked almost entirely human. Almost. His eyes glowed a dim shade of gold, and within the Golden Irises of his eyes swirled streaks of purple, like food coloring streaking through water. Vertical slits for pupils took in the world around him carefully, and he moved with grace and a sense of benevolence and gentleness. Children followed him, occasionally, and he was exceedingly gentle with them, dazzling them with small spectacles of magic and letting them swing back and forth on his arms, his Draconian strength making them feel like less than nothing.

He wore a White Tunic, the trim and seams of which were blazing Gold, making him seem a monk or otherwise. His gloriously lengthy hair went down to the small of his back, and was tied into a tight braided pony-tail. His features were nigh flawless, with smooth skin, a defined jaw, high cheekbones, dimples, a straight, narrow nose, and beneath the clothing, what many would call the perfect build of muscle. He was broad, and strong, but he was not overly-built, and did not strain the fabric of his tunic with his size; indeed the Tunic made him look skinnier than he was. And of course, a lot less threatening.

He did not stop his slow, graceful walk unless needed, such as at a street crossing or if someone was in front of him, and the air around him seemed to calm those around him, their shoulders no longer so tense and their backs straightening a bit as they felt less stress from their daily grind. Irral was here to observe the Humans; to see how they were fairing under the rule of the Imperium of Man, and away from the threat of Draco. It had been some time since he'd had the chance to do so, and so he relished in the idea of simply watching for a little while. Seeing how Life went on without interference from a malevolent force.

But what would he observe?

Life under the Imperium, everything seemed normal. Despite the more militaristic style of the Imperium the people seemed normal. Well, besides the occasional Guardsman patrol and more civilians wearing small religious symbols of the Imperium. Gilded eagles.

Of course, a human that towered over other people was unheard of. Of course there was the Space Marines, the genetically enhanced super humans. The Emperors angels of death and the sworn defenders of humanity. They towered over normal humans...But they always wore power armor.

Irral of course gathered the attention of the Guardsman in the area, of course they had no reason to open fire yet. However, they decided to send a live recording to command. Using Servo-Skulls, a small flying skull equipped with a small hover pad and either a survalence eye or a small bolt pistol imbedded in the mouth. Sometimes both in most cases.

This small Servo-Skull began to follow Irral and began sending a live recording to Imperial command. Of course they would not know who he was but it was a manner of time until the Space Marines, more importantly the Grey Knights that encountered Irral during the battle at Ridgecst to recognize him.

And there they saw it: The Dragon who had made easy work of even the mighty Grey Knights, being as gentle as a flower to children, animals, and adults alike around him. He moved to a small court-yard, and sat upon a bench overlooking a fountain, a statue of the Emperor having been erected on it; likely an addition after the numerous battles the city had endured. Irral's eyes were not full of Malice or hatred, nor rage or ill-intent. He was simply observing, his eyes as gentle as his movements and interactions.

By all means, he looked harmless.

His ears twitched slightly, taking in the sounds around him; it was unlikely that he heard the Servo-Skulls, though he did know he was being watched. The sheer nonchalance in his stature and the fact that he wasn't trying to hide proved that. At the same time, provided the illusion that he didn't know, and was simply admiring the architecture of the Statue of the Emperor. Finally Irral's gaze broke and traveled to some children playing nearby, their clothes the uniforms of a Imperium-sponsored school. Once they were close, he spoke, trying to capture their attention.

"Excuse me, young ones.... but pray tell me.... who is this man depicted in the Statue?" he asked, nodding to the rendition of the Emperor before them. He was hoping for an answer from them, preferably before anyone intervened with his peaceful endeavor of observation.

As Irral spoke to the kids, they gave a small nod. "That's the Emperor sir, a man who leads mankind through salvation. The Imperium came one day and began to teach us all about the Emperor and what they do for mankind. The Emperor had united mankind in its darkest hour, and to this day keeps the dark gods from entering the mortal realm every second of his life. And it is said he still works on bettering mankind all while doing this!" The young boy spoke with such youthful enthusiasm.

It seems that religion, and Imperial teachings are playing a part in this city. But the boy had no problem answering his question, the other kids all nodded as well.

Of course, Irral was already reaching the eyes of Imperial officers above. They were already making reports and matching data to known enemies, or local criminals. They would begin the process first before sending it to the Emperors elite.

"Interesting... Thank you, young ones, you may resume your play." he said, leaning back into the bench and observing the statue more. So this is what guarded the humans from Draco now; this Emperor... This seemingly Godly Being, holding back the Gods of Evil by himself... Seemed far-fetched, but then, so too did his own feats.

Standing after a while, it would be revealed to those watching him that he was not Draco; as some first thought - he was much too tall compared to the Shadow Dragon, and his movements were a lot less jagged, and more fluid. His color scheme of course was an entire swap, bright and colorful vs. the dark and dreary of Draco.

As Irral folded his arms behind his back, his eye caught the movement of one of the Servo-Skulls, and quickly his entire head turned to focus on it, staring straight at it with an intense, predatory gaze as he tried to figure out what he was looking at. Those golden, Tainted-by-violet eyes gleamed in the sunlight, and the pupils contracted into tight slits. Yep, he was a Dragon alright. After a second, Irral paid the thing no mind, and went about his business, moseying on down the street at a gentle pace, humming to himself a Draconian Lullaby, the sound of which would soothe the tensions of on-edge parents watching this huge man walk past their children. It let them know that he was not a threat; that he was not here to harm anyone, and that the children were safe.

As the Imperials noted that he was indeed a dragon, they began to write down the information and began to look into files related to 'dragon' sightings. So far there were two dragons that were declared enemies to the Imperium to the normal Guardsman knowledge. They belonged to the Shadow Legion, however they had no information on this dragon.

Of course it seemed that this dragon was not causing any trouble...Of course with the trouble that the other dragons they encountered stored up. The Shadow Legion invading Wing City and some unknown nation of dragons assaulting the Space Marines, they were not much for taking risks with their kind anymore.

As such, they contacted the Space Marines and began to send over information on the dragon. Of course the Grey Knights would be getting this same intelligence as well. Of course, on the ground preparations for a speech was made...And the presenter was someone that the Imperium knew all to well. His presence permiated the area, a divine but powerful being. But people were cheering from the sound of it.

Following the flow of a crowd, Irral found himself drawn into an almost arena-shaped area of the street, a podium set up as someone stood behind it, going over their notes, while everything was being tested. Finding a bench towards the back of the crowd once more, Irral sank into it, blending in with the standing people and thus making himself harder to spot for a second; but then by now the cameras of the Servo-Skulls were focused on him like white on paper.

Slowly the Dragon's mouth parted, and a hand came up to cover his mouth. A yawn, how deceptively human. His teeth weren't even pointed; they were flat and white like a normal human's, at least in this form anyway. He leaned back against the bench, the metal gently creaking under his weight, but supporting him nonetheless.

The presenter of this speech caught Irral's eyes, and as such that predatory stare returned, and the Dragon was eerily still as he watched the man. Divine, powerful, strong, yet fair and gentle - much like himself. The cheering did little to deter Irral, and did nothing to hinder his focus, his eyes narrowing slightly before blinking. When his eyes opened again, he was looking at his lap, perhaps deep in thought.

"Attention everyone. I like to thank you all for your participation." The presenter announced to the crowd. There was a rather large crowd with more people funneling by the minute, Guardsman, Civilians, and even some Sisters of Battle, the battlemaidens of the Imperium with greater zelious faith than even the Space Marines. Even pic-casts were set up to record this event. "With great honor, and admiration. To the people of Terra and dutiful citizens and warriors of the Imperium. I proudly announce that the Emperor has a public announcement he would like to make to all of Terra today!"

The crowd erupted into applause as from behind the man, the elite Honor Guard known as the Adeptus Custodies, the Emperors own bodyguards began to form around the podium, guardian spears in hand. As they made their formation only then a massive figure adorned in golden armor stepped onto the stage.

The aura he gave out was calming, soothing even and even awe inspiring. The crowd went into silence, the Sisters of Battle knelt into silent prayer upon seeing the Emperor himself on stage. The leader of the Imperium himself, a human man capable of overpowering even gods themselves.

"People of Terra, my faithful citizen ends and warriors of the Imperium. I am proud to personally speak to you all in person. I would like to start of saying that I am proud to help the citizens of Terra, knowing that the people are constantly under threat and invasions from hostile life forms in the stars, and demonic insurrections from the Shadow Legion attacking this fair city. And to think that very little people come to your aid in your time of need, even the Aschen, those that lay claim to your world treat you all as little more than expendable trash. To leave you all to fend for yourselves, to ignore you all without even caring.

With my warriors, the Imperial Guard and the Space Marines I promise you that we are always making efforts to continue helping Terra, and I am thankful people like you come to support our efforts for a safer future free from all evil. To continue to preserve the peace that we have made in the last few months instead of the eternal struggle you all faced a mere year ago!

For this peace to last, I hearby announce that I and my faithful legion of warriors shall go on a final crusade against the Shadow Legion! No longer will you fear them any longer! They stay safe in their so called invincible fortress but to the enemies of man there is no safe place from humanities fury! From this day onward, I vow to lead the attack myself on the Shadow Legions fortress! To bring an end to them once and for all and remove the scourge of Terra that has plagued you all for generations!"

The Emperor announced with such force and conviction which caused everyone around, and for those watching from their homes to cheer and applaud. He was speaking the truth to everyone on Terra. And with this happening, Irral would have nothing to worry because no one dared to interrupt the Emperors own speech. To do such a thing would be the ultimate Heresy.

Such promise, such power, such poise. Such devotion from those around them; yet Irral's Predatory Gaze did not waver, nor did he even blink. As the crowd cheered and applauded, Irral stood, slowly rising from his seated position. As he reached his full twelve-foot height, his back cracked, four loud pops resounded from his spine, and with each pop his internal power was slightly released, his presence finally becoming fully known. Now he was known. Everyone around him stopped, and turned towards him, frozen in awe and surprise. Again, he wasn't full malice or evil-intent; but his sheer presence made the air vibrate gently. The ground beneath his feet cracked from his weight.

"Many Greetings upon you, Noble Emperor. You boast a grand campaign in your mission against the Shadow Legion and their dark Master. Allow me to Introduce myself: I am Irral, the First Son. I am the First Son born from the All-Mother of Dragons, the Light herself.

If you truly promise to go against and crush the Shadow Legion, I will offer my assistance; and that of my Mother, the Light. But she will want to meet with you. What say you, O' Emperor of Mankind, to my proposition?" He asked. To many, it would seem as though two impenetrable bastions of Light were colliding, the sheer presence of Irral and the Emperor in one Place eliminating all Shadows in the area entirely; leaving only Light in the area. His voice alone held the same amount of power that the Emperor himself had.

The Emperor turned to face Irral. Even though he was not present at the battle at Ridgecrest, he knew his Grey Knights and Irral had engaged each other. Of course, he knew many of his Space Marines were still causing trouble, and he needed to fix such a thing. However he knew one thing, Irral had the power to heavily assist against the Shadow Legion.

As long as they had the same enemy, then one thing was clear. "Greetings Irral, if you say you shall lend your assistance then so I shall accept." The Emperor spoke leaving out the part where his own men and Irral had already engaged in combat due to his men's decision to continue their hatred of unknown hostile offering aid. Their pride, and Xenophobia still plagued them. He still blamed himself for this, but only time and his actions could fix it.

"As such, I shall meet with your mother then. To meet with her, and I give my word that I will not do anything as long as you do the same. May our alliance be a fruitful on, and may our enemies be destroyed to protect everyone on Terra. For this, we the Imperium are your allies for now." The Emperor stated. His order was of course absolute, although their would be disagreement, especially with the Grey Knights, but ultimately the destruction of the Shadow Legion would override the Grey Knights vengeance for now.

Irrals lips tugged back into a small smile as the Emperor spoke, and the predatory gaze became a more friendly one with each passing word. The sheer weight of his presence seemed to lift, and people suddenly found themselves able to shake in awe. Golden Light began to rise from Irral's body, an aura of magic and wonder surrounding him as he lifted off the ground slowly.

"Very well, Emperor. I shall inform the All-Mother that we have an Agreement, and she and I will come to you soon." Irral then gave the Emperor his own version of a Salute, his heels snapping together into Attention as his right fist pounded on his chest tightly over his heart, and his left hand, curled into a fist, came to the small of his back. With that he gave a flourished bow, and in a brilliant flash of Golden Light, he was gone, leaving only a single Golden Chunk of stone beneath where he stood, the metal glittering in the sunlight.

The words "Expect us soon." would echo though the land softly, as if whispered from another dimension. It was Irral's voice, gentle and soothing, and it was of course directed at the Emperor. When the meeting would take place however was up to the Light herself, but there would be a meeting. Soon.

As Irral left the area, the Emperor himself remained in the area to answer questions for the civilians and give them comfort with his presence. He would make true on his promise, the Shadow Legion would see what the Imperium was truly capable of when united. For now, patience would be needed until everything was in place.

To keep this peace, they had to be merciless in the coming battle. They would not hold back anything to ensure victory.

Teddy's eyes wandered to Dormon leaving the hotel, but he had hesitated by the time he left. He looked lost and distressed, but Teddy couldn't save everyone, so he couldn't pursue him and leave Ebba all by her lonesome. He then looked back over at Esther, "Sorry for waking you up like that," he said, "I just had to know."

"It's okay, Teddy," Esther said, raising her voice a bit, "Now can I sleep? We'll talk later..."

Teddy nodded, Esther was too sleepy to really converse. He looked over at Ebba again, and turned to walk over to her. "Hey," he called out to her as he neared where she was sitting, "Did you have a good sleep? Resting in a set of armor you can't take off has to be uncomfortable."