Fantasy Dragon's Revenge

[Kyero]

((For some reason the site didn't post this last night when I hit submit and I didn't notice until just now. I know it's kind of inconvenient Prox, but could you delete your last post and respond to this one as if it came next instead please? Thank you!)


Slifer was out, but her mind vaguely reacted to her shoulders being grabbed and her body being shaken. Slowly, her brain rebooted and she slowly opened her eyes with a light moan.


As a dragon, her first sense to come back online was her sense of smell, and in this room which was near pristine there was a scent which stood out. It was a scent that didn't belong to either herself or Altus, and nobody else had been in here as far as she knew. To play it safe, she had to keep acting. She sat up slowly, rubbing her forehead as she opened one eye and looked at Altus.


"Ugh... What happened? I must have fainted," she said softly as she turned her body to dangle her legs off the edge of the bed.


However, she gave him a looked which she had taught him meant "silence." Her sense of smell didn't lie, and she needed him to be quiet so she could locate it.


She stood up and shook her head, flicking her hair out of her eyes as she walked over towards the door. The scent grew stronger, and though her eyes didn't wander from looking at the door Slifer knew the scent was nearby. She turned around, catching a few possibilities in her peripheral vision as she turned to look at Altus. One possibility was hiding behind the rather large sofa just to the side which had a nice view out of the nearby window. Another possibility was inside a closet. And the third option was hiding inside the bathroom which had its door closed.


Slifer did a casual walk around, picking up some of her strewn clothing. The closer she got to the couch, nothing. She walked to the bed and put the clothing down, folding it. She was leaning forward slightly, which drew up the back of her nightgown making her backside partially visible. Thankfully she was still wearing her undergarments or she believed poor Altus may have fainted. The thought brought a small smirk to her face. She then looked at the bathroom, walking over to it and opening the door. Nothing. She washed her face and brushed her hair for a moment before coming back out.


That left one option, and she looked at the closet and then to Altus. Her knowing glare sent the signal quite clearly that someone was there listening, and it was now up to him to play along with Slifer's act if they were to escape this place without serious notice.


"I don't think it wise to remain here any longer Altus. With a murderer on the loose, who knows what evil deeds are happening elsewhere in this city. I think it best we pack out belongings and move on. We can continue your training elsewhere," she said, giving him a jerk of her head towards his things.


She gathered her own belongings and set a fresh set of clothing on the bed for herself. It was a light forest green tunic with a V cut, as slifer enjoyed the sight of her own human cleavage. Despite being trapped in human form for a good while, she was still fascinated by the human female form and enjoyed the sight of her own body. It wasn't vanity, but curiosity and entertainment. The pants she selected were tight to her frame, and a flexible and stretch fabric which she had complete freedom of movement in. Her boots from before were set and ready by the bed as well, and she began to get dressed.


She removed the night gown, not paying any attention to Altus' presence. Since she had her undergarments and a bra on, there shouldn't be a problem right? Surely Altus has seen this much of the female form before. She folded the night gown and set it on the bed as she lifted her pants and put them on. Once she was finished, she put on her tunic top and stepped into her boots. After a quick adjustment, she was ready to leave. She gathered everything she needed in her pack and looked to Altus, making sure he was ready as well.


"Shall we?" She asked pleasantly, keeping a suspicious eye on the closet.

 

[ANONASAI]

Altus was exhausted, whatever Slifer was talking about he didn't understand it. He couldn't even ask himself what it meant. And then her acting began again. No questions asked. All he had in his mind was why Slifer was acting like this. All those gestures she made, he did not get. He just agreed to everything and tried to sleep. Until Slifer told him to pack up. This was not a very good idea for Altus since he was tired. Something could happen along the journey. He was dying to take a good sleep and temptations were with him every time. The cold breezy breath of the wind, the dark and silent sky, the dancing bright stars and the shining moon. At least now Slifer had already changed her clothes.


So yes, he agreed to take the escape with Slifer, "Y-yes..." his tone was weak and his voice cracking. All he could just do was agree to everything. He couldn't lift his tongue that long this time.

 

[Kyero]

Slifer led Altus out the door, and closed it behind him as he walked out after her. She noticed that room 3's door was now open. Likely the tenant had stepped outside for a moment, so she led him into the room closing the door ever so quietly so as not to be heard and to the window. She slid it open and crawled out to the ledge, looking down to the ground outside. It was about a ten foot drop, which was nothing. She dropped, landing lightly on her feet with her pack in hand as she looked to Altus and gestured for him to jump down after her.


Once he had, she led him into the alleyways and began gaining distance from the inn. She didn't like it that the closet held a suspicious scent, and she liked it even less that things were beginning to get complicated in the city thanks to the rebellion. She and Altus needed to do one of two things: One was to escape the city and form a new plan, and two was to stop the rebellion as fast as they could. However, Stanas had since been lost to them and never returned from his duties. She could only conclude that he'd become a casualty elsewhere, as in their human forms they were susceptible to everyday weaponry like normal humans. Stanas likely had gotten too close to the rebellion while he was away and been killed, as she could not sense his presence any longer.


Once she and Altus had gained some proper distance, she did a quick check of the air testing for other scents. She didn't smell any, so she knew they were clear to talk now.


"Alright Altus, I know you're tired and can smell that my little act has gotten your hormones raging, but I need you to focus. Now, since nobody at the inn knows for certain that the blood was our doing, we should be in the clear about the murder. As far as this city and the rebellion, I'm not sure there's anything we can do. In fact, now that we've lost Stanas, I think the only thing we can do now is abandon this city to its fate. It sounds heartless to say so, but I cannot afford to wait for this city to straighten itself out. I have obtained vital clues to my quest, and I know where I need to go now."


She looked him in the eyes.


"So, Altus, here's the question: Can you continue knowing how far I'm willing to go?"


The question was an indirect way of asking if he was okay with her being a murderer. She normally didn't kill people like this, but the cultist could not be allowed to live and she'd gotten all the information she needed out of him before his death. Still, given that he was human, she knew Altus would likely have something to say about her killing of the cultist and about the possibility of her continuing to kill if necessary to get what she wanted.


She wanted her Dragon power back. She needed it back. And she was willing to do whatever she had to in order to get it. If that meant killing these cultists outright to prevent Maglissos from being revived before she could attain it, then so be it.

 

[ANONASAI]

Altus fell to his back and sat down on a rock after hearing those words. There were so many things Altus had to do. The revolution was beginning to rise, he could not let this city become the city he had. His visions and memories were hitting him again...this time very very hard and critical. He both saw his mother and father fall in his eyes. Thanks to Slifer accidentally making him recall these things. All those promises that he bounded with blood within the city and within his fellow thieves. He couldn't let this city fall apart. Again, the visions hit him harder until it caused him to rage, "No...NO!" he cried loudly as he quickly drawn his crossbow and pointed it to Slifer unknowingly. And he was back to reality just in time to save himself from pulling the trigger. He breathed heavily and began to sweat. He dropped his crossbow and landed on the green grass. "Slifer...just...do me a favor and don't say anything related to a revolution and a city's fate." he spoke quickly with deep breathing and closed eyes. "Give me some time...some rest..." he added as he laid his heavy head down and began to calm down.


He had to decide for himself now. Will he continue this unknown journey and leave everything that happened in the city? Or will he abandon his client that he barely understands and this journey that she never gave much information about and continue what he vowed in this city? Slifer had to help him decide. She never told anything about this journey, never told anything about herself, and she killed a man. Obviously, Altus would leave her if he knew she was leading him into a trap and unless she'll tell the truth. Altus was a thief, not an assassin. All he desires is Fil and that is it. He had the right to know what he was doing and where it will lead him.


Now on a quiet place, he had to ask her. About these "dragons". And he will, "Slifer...I can't keep doing things for someone if I don't know what it was all about. If I don't know where this will lead me. I am a thief, not a murderer. And I deserve to know THE TRUTH." the last part he deepened and gave meaning. This was the moment he was waiting for, "What is this about the 'dragons'..." he said.

 

[Kyero]

Slifer's lips parted slightly, a burdened expression on her face as she closed her eyes and looked away. She put her hands on her hips and took in a deep breath through her nose and let it out through her mouth. She was already unconsciously channeling what was there of her Dragon power as the steam from her breath on an otherwise warm night was quite visible. Altus drawing his crossbow on her made her somewhat defensive. While she could dodge the shot at range, he was too close now. It was just a good thing he dropped it.


"Altus..." She began, but stopped almost immediately.


She started to unconsciously pace, hands on her hips as she continued to breath softly in an effort to find the right words.


Finally, she came to a decision a she turned and faced him.


"When you look at me, do you see a normal human being?" She asked.

 

[ANONASAI]

Altus tilted his head to face Slifer, "You're a human being...yes...But you're not normal." he replied. He was glad Slifer didn't have to pull a knife on his throat for asking her that kind of question. If he had to follow her, he needs to know what she is. His first thought was Slifer being some kind of half dragon and half human. His second thought was if her intentions on this journey was okay for a human.

 

[Kyero]

Slifer nodded, but sighed at the same time.


So Altus knew something, but he didn't know everything.


Either way, it seemed that her "cover" as a human was more or less blown anyway. Even though he would never be able to tell whether or not she was lying to him, she had a feeling that telling him she was a Dragon sympathizer or worshipper wouldn't do her any good. Besides, it would be a waste to try and keep up a ruse like that. She didn't worship herself or her own kind, nor did she know any prayers or songs to make it sound credible.


No...


Ultimately, it was time to come clean. If he couldn't handle the truth and tried to kill her, then he was a dead man walking. If he decided to accept it but continue on without her on his own agenda, then so be it. If he accepted it and continued on by her side, then that would be great. She needed the extra set of eyes and his skills as a thief would be most valuable in helping to steal the secrets of the cultists in the future if they could find a more information heavy establishment they used.


"Altus... What I'm about to show you is something no mortal before you has been privileged to know," she said, stepping back a few paces.


She took in a deep breath and let it out through her mouth. Her face was intense and displayed her focus. In, out. In, out. Deep breath in, deep breath out. Each time she breathed out, more and more steam came out despite how nice it was this night. With mild temperatures, steam should not have been visible. But there it was, plain as day for Altus to see. The temperatures escaping her mouth were in the hundreds of degrees to produce steam in the middle of a night like this.


Her eyes slowly began to dilate, with her pupils splitting and forming a reptilian line as opposed to a circular human pupil. Her lips curled back slightly as she breathed and the steam intensified. Her amethyst eyes began to glow, and she began to rear her head back. Her chest pushed forward as she breathed in and out, rising and falling as she kept rearing back. Farther and farther until at last she stopped. Her breathing ceased, her breath held tight inside. Her lips curled into a snarl and her eyes dilated further into even smaller and more aggressive slits.


"... Cover your ears..." She said in a voice that sounded as if it was two people speaking at once.


She gave him a second to cover his ears, and then lurched forward throwing her arms to the sides as she arched her back and opened her mouth. What escaped was a ROAR that was loud enough to split the heavens and cause a wave of air pressure to slam into Altus' body and knock him back a few steps. The glass of the building behind him began to split and crack before shattering under the pressure. All of the birds within approximately three to four miles immediately took to the air and flew off in every direction except towards Slifer. The ground shook lightly beneath Altus' feet until at last the roar trailed off, and Slifer's arms slowly returned to her sides as her posture relaxed and her eyes stopped glowing.


Her body straightened until she was standing up straight again and her appearance returned to normal as she took in a smaller breath and let it out on a sigh. She looked to Altus, waiting to see his reaction to her roar.


"... So Altus... Do you still think I'm human?" She asked, her expression calm and expecting.

 

[ANONASAI]

After what she had revealed, Altus almost collapsed to the loud roar. After all, he only barely covered his ears. Altus was shaking and his eyes wide, he breathed more heavily this time. He moved several meters away from Slifer as she began to calm down. The quaking ground entered into his feet and through his whole body making him almost unable to stand. He had seen what he wanted to see. And it was time to answer her question. "As long as---" he took deep breathes before continuing, "I g-get my p-pay...Then n-no you're not human...M-My pay...G-gold...F-Fil..." he repeated what he desired to calm him down. He accepted this journey to get his gold and hopefully he will. In this kind of shock, he doesn't even know what he's saying or what he's doing. His eyes started to blur and as if something was hitting his heart (nope. he doesn't have a heart attack) and he breathed more and more heavily, his head was almost going to explode. Thankfully, he got himself back and now could calm down.


He stood up with his legs still shaking a bit and looked at Slifer differently now. He couldn't believe it but he thinks he's afraid of Slifer now. He couldn't even bare to look at her in the eyes for 5 seconds. After thinking Slifer was weak when on her human form. That steam could almost burn him!


Yet the decision was made, he made so much progress and he couldn't just leave it. "Y-yes...I'll go with y-you." he said. He raised his right arm trying to shake Slifer's hand. But after what he'd seen, it was not best to touch her for now. Maybe that hand could do something too. He closed his fist and moved his arm back away from Slifer, placing it under his left arm.

 

[Kyero]

Slifer took a breath and let it out on a sigh, her eyes slightly narrowed. When her lips came together after the breath, the moon began shining out from behind the clouds. The slightly narrowed eyes and the reflection of the moon on her face and hair made her look radiant, more so than usual. It was almost as if her skin and hair were glowing.


She walked towards Altus slowly and calmly, keeping her eyes on his.


"You will have all the Fil you could ask for and more Altus. That, I promise you," she said in a quiet and serene voice.


She came forward and cupped her hands on his cheeks, letting the warmth of her skin seep into his as she closed her eyes. Her hands moved slowly until her index and middle fingers lay gently upon his temples.


"It's time for you to see what I truly am," she whispered.


Here eyebrows furrowed and a vision of her Dragon form flashed through his mind. It was like a montage of images searing through his head. Images of her Dragon form roaring, flying, fighting, and launching its attack. She stopped after a few seconds, when she was sure he could see the whole picture, and backed away to allow him to adjust. He'd been badly shaken by her roar, and these images would likely be another rush for him. No mortal had seen or heard a Dragon in thousands of years, so the shock must have been incredible.


"I know you're afraid of me, Altus, and it does not bother me. But we need to move. That roar will have woken the entire city, and we can't afford to be seen here after that. Please do your best to shake this off and follow me quickly. Once we're out of the city, I will help you to rest."


With that, Slifer turned and started jogging lightly towards the edge of the city.

 

[ANONASAI]

Altus cleared his mind. It was all for the gold, and it wasn't his business to ask questions. "Just do what she wants you to do...and get the gold.." he whispered quietly. He liked the sound making him rest for a while. What he was worrying about was if she'll turn him into a delicious feast for the morning. After the shock, adrenaline surged into his body. Now making him energetic and active.


He followed Slifer towards the edge of the city. This where his journey will begin.

 

[Kyero]

Slifer led him to the edge of the city and beyond into the surrounding countryside. Once they were clear of the city, she led him to a clearing in the forest nearby and set her things down.


"Alright Altus, time for you to rest," she said calmly.


She turned towards him and approached slowly, smiling sweetly as she put her right hand on his shoulder.


"Don't worry, you won't feel a thing," she reassured him.


She then moved her hand off of his shoulder and behind his neck when she gave him a light chop to the base of the skull which promptly knocked him out without any pain and without leaving any lasting damage. As he went out, she caught him and set him down gently next to his belongings and sat down nearby. She stayed up to ensure that nobody came through, and even if they did, it was a very innocent set up. Altus was resting peacefully and Slifer was sitting up against a tree and brought out a book from her pack to read while she kept an ear open for intruders.

 

[ANONASAI]

Altus was relieved when Slifer said he can rest. Still, he remembered she was...dangerous. He would insist taking a rest just a few yards away from Slifer just to make sure nothing goes wrong. He was also thinking of preparing a dagger next to his hand while he's sleeping. And all this was useless as Slifer knocked him out cold. Altus didn't have time to react, nor did he felt pain. He was now asleep with that memory of a humanoid that tried to crush his neck with bare hands. And the next time he wakes up will not be a 'good morning'.

 

[Kain]

After a few moments of thinking about his next action, palming his knife, he felt..... horrible. Somehow, he felt much more tired than he should. He knew Svana was talking to him, he knew she was asking him about something important, but it seemed all muffled and muted to his ears. His exhaustion finally caught up to him.....Darius cursed under his breath. Swooning slightly, he mumbled to himself encouragements.


Darius tried to focus his attention on Svana and the couple, who were walking away at that very instant, but his concentration failed. The noble blinked twice and tried to clear the haze in front of his eyes. When he regained most of his energy, a lot of things had happened. The thief was on the stairs, reaching for his room, a swoop of sweaty men were dancing around him in their drunken stupor. Even a man was beckoning him to dance by leading him by the arm. A few of the patrons were crowding the stairs, but kind of ignored in his present situation. His mouth slightly fell open as he furtively looked around him, with mounting panic, a prominent question making his mind.


Where was Svana?


Of course, there were a dozen more questions lying in his mind, but he was talking about the daughter of a recently dead politician and a noble here, no small fry. Darius pushed one sailor off his arm and wandered around, wobbling on his unsteady feet.


"Sir?" One of Felim's bartenders asked, unconcerned about all the things happening inside the bar, that Felim went to check. "What are you doing?"


"I'm looking for my friend." Darius said, leaning on one forearm. Better to lie than to say who she truly was.


"Ah, you mean the little girl?" The bartender shrugged and rolled his eyes. "Well, I saw that girl strolling upstairs, when I last saw that grimy coat. It wasn't difficult to spot, along with all our new guests." The man then muttered about beautiful girls and chuckled while expressing some concerns about the normal guests clogging up the stairway.


Saying a vague thank you, he strolled into the concerned crowd, merely squeezing in the cracks, hearing some strange things about blood, murder, and something about a murderer.


Then a roar split his eardrums in two.

 

[roboblu]

The noblewoman sat, hunched and terrified, in the small closet for what seemed like hours. Finally, when she hadn't heard anything for at least ten minutes, Svana slid back the door with trembling fingers and peered out into the room. To her relief, it was empty ... Completely. Empty. Carefully she crept out from behind the closet door and took a thorough look around. The room was bare save a bed and a few chairs, with no trace of all of the personal items that had been strewn around earlier. Though her mind was racing with fear and adrenaline, Svana tried to make sense of the situation. After a moment, she concluded that, A) Slifer and the thief were thorough, meaning they probably moved around pretty often; B) they had left in the middle of the night after Slifer had fainted, meaning something had probably forced them to leave; and C), they had stolen this room and then fled. If reasoning C didn't prove their part in the murder, Svana didn't know what would- but, again, she was surprisingly less concerned with the murder than she was with the thief having double-crossed her.


Shaking, the lady walked over to the nearby bed and sat down, tucking her legs up beneath her chin as if she were a child. Why did I come in here? She asked herself, troubled by the lack of tact that had brought her into the closet. What was I trying to achieve? Svana thought back to this morning, and saw the image of a wickedly sharp knife slicing through her father's soft throat. He was dead now, and no amount of justice would bring him back; not the reformation of a blacksmith murderer, and not the apprehension of a pair of criminals. The lady frowned, closed her eyes for a moment, and tried to get over herself. She could not afford to obsess over every criminal -every spatter of blood- that crossed her path. Right now she had to focus on sending a message to Nazkohr, and could not well do so from within a stuffy closet.


Despite her exhaustion, the woman jumped up and walked out of room four, closing the door with a -click- behind her. It was locked ... the thieves must have made sure of it on their way out. Shrugging it off, Svana shuffled down the stairs and into the lobby, her tired, silver eyes scoping the room for her traveling companion. It was a thick crowd, excited by the recent events ... Ah. Darius wasn't hard to find, with his tall, blonde head poking out above the rest of the crowd. The lady struggled through the mass of bodies, mumbling 'excuse me's and 'pardons' as she went. One dirt-smeared arm reached up to tug a fold of his cloak-


OOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRR


The ground beneath Svana trembled as an enormous sound ripped through the inn, knocking a few startled (and very drunken) patrons down to the floor. The noblewoman managed to maintain her footing, but had to lean back on the wall as she clapped her hands to her ears. Only after the last echoes died away did Svana open her eyes to the scene before her. People were staggering all over the lobby, some clutching broken wine glasses, and others tapping their ears to restore their sense of hearing. Too shocked to do much, the lady stood to the side and watched the chaos unfold, trying to understand what could have made a sound like that.

 

[ANONASAI]

Altus was sleeping and was about to wake up. He doesn't even know he was sleeping though. He thought at the sudden blackout by Slifer, he was surely dead. Until he realized he was just closing his eyes. He barely opened his eyes, pretending he was still asleep. He cocked his head to the right, nothing. He saw Slifer as he cocked his head to the opposite and tried to think before assaulting her. Am I really dead? Am I just asleep? She must have done something to me while I was... Maybe turn me into a dragon too? I don't like that. He closed the room of possibilities and checked his whole body. Wavering slowly his both arms, stretching every bone, and moving every muscle. There was nothing very strange about him, and at least he could still hold a dagger. It was time to ask Slifer what really happened to him.


He pushed himself up quickly but silently and took cover at the nearest tree that could fit his figure. He made his way around Slifer and moved closely behind her. He unsheathed his dagger and prepared his legs to make a burst. His thighs were now so hard and his feet digging into the ground. And with no warning or even a growl from Altus, he pushed himself gliding towards Slifer and gripped her neck tightly as both of them were brought to the ground with Altus on top of her, having the advantage. Slifer was facing the ground so Altus had to flip her. Once he did, he locked Slifer's lower chest and hips with his knees, tightened his grip around Slifer neck even more but just enough for her to talk, and lastly placed the tip of his dagger on her neck slowly piercing it.


"WHAT DID YOU DO TO ME!" he demanded with a loud and angry tone. "TELL ME NOW! YOU TRIED SLICING MY HEAD OFF WITH YOUR OWN HAND AND PUT ME TO SLEEP!!! WHAT DID YOU DO TO ME!!!"


And just to make sure Slifer won't escape from this, he released his grip around her neck and replaced it with a crossbow. Now with two weapons both in hand, she can't do anything...

 

[Kyero]

Slifer read her book calmly until she felt a sudden burst of weight upon her. She was on the ground in a second, and flipped onto her back as Altus gripped her throat in one hand and his knife and crossbow in the other, screaming psychotically asking what she had done to him.


Slifer forced a breath in passed his grip, as the muscles in her neck were stronger than those in his hand.


She was having none of this, and it was time to remind him of why humans had feared Dragons.


She whipped her right hand straight across her face with blinding speed knocking both of his weapons free of his grip and off to the side before she reached forward and grabbed his lapels and flung him off of her. Altus flew over ten feet into the air before Slifer was up and caught him, throwing him to the ground with enough force to put a crack in the dirt below and a small cloud of dust out in every direction. With Altus stunned and out of breath, she sat on his stomach as he had done to her, but she pinned both of his arms above his head with her left hand, digging her fingertips into the ground to put a permanent lock on both of his wrists. Her other hand was held above his throat, her fingertips aimed directly as the soft tissue below the Adam's apple but hovering just a few millimeters off his skin, a courtesy he hand't extended to her as a few tiny drops of blood trickled down her neck.


"You stupid mortal thief! Do you really think you can threaten a Dragon?!" She yelled, the force and heat of her breath sending his hair in every which direction as well as the grass around him.


"Even in this human form, I am capable of feats of strength and agility the likes of which you could never accomplish no matter how good you think you are. I am faster, stronger, and in every way physically superior to your pathetic mortal flesh! Without your weapons, you would not even have a spec of hope for survival were I to view you as prey," she said, the final sentence coming more calmly and menacingly than before.


Slifer leaned forward, putting her eyes just a few inches from his as they began to glow and flare with energy and power with her pupils dilating to slits as they'd done when she roared.


"Now Altus, I am going to make this very clear: You are never to threaten me again. If you do, I will kill you without a second thought. I need an extra pair of eyes and your simple mind is easy to sway since coin is all you care about. But you are not necessary to the success of my mission. If you were to die, Altus, it would be of no consequence to me."


She came even lower, her lips only inches from his.


"For some perspective, Altus, I am over three thousand years old and have hundreds of your lifetime's worth of experience in both combat and travel. As a Dragon, I rule the skies above my kin as a Divine Dragon, the most powerful of all Dragonkind. If you think for even an instant, whether I'm in this human form or not, that you can threaten me then you are sadly and pathetically mistaken."


She backed away a few inches, pushing his arms further into the ground.


"So Altus, here is my current dilemma: I am unsure of whether or not you're safe to keep alive. You have displayed an unstable psychological reaction to my being a Dragon, and I am starting to believe it'd be better to kill you now and leave your body to rot than give you another chance to stab me in the back."


She leaned in again slightly, pushing herself forward so her breasts were above his face and her throat above his forehead.


"Just for future reference," she said calmly as a drop of her blood dripped onto his head.


It was a tiny drop, no bigger than perhaps a quarter of a centimeter in diameter. but when the blood touched the flesh of his forehead it began sending a wave of searing pain through his skin. It burned hotter than anything Altus had likely felt on his skin before, but did not break skin which made it all the worse.


"A Dragon's blood runs at temperatures beyond even your hottest burning coals in the smithery of your best blacksmiths. You'd do wise to remember that. That drop of blood will cause a burn mark on your forehead which will last for years before it heals, so what do you think the damage would be if you were to slit my throat and spray it across your face?" She asked, her tone carrying few doses of venom.


Again, she brought herself down so she was looking him in the eyes. Her feet were locked. Her legs were locked. Her hand had locked his wrists to the ground with overwhelming force to the point where his hands had lost nearly all blood flow. Against her superior muscular prowess, Altus was going absolutely nowhere without Slifer's approval.


"So Altus, what will it be? Should I save myself the risk of another of your psychotic breakdowns and kill you now? Or will you calm down and realize that I knocked you out so that you could get some much needed rest?" She asked.

 

[ANONASAI]

Altus shrieked in pain as Slifer's blood flowed inside his head. It hurt so badly together with his locked body parts that were running out of blood, his back that was thrown over 10 feet and crashed. There were no words express the pain or answer her question. The pain inside his head kept growing significantly and Altus tried shaking his head but could barely even move it.


Slifer decides his fate now, he couldn't move anymore, he couldn't even feel his body. All he hoped was Slifer to be merciful.

 

[Kyero]

Slifer sat atop Altus with her eyes wide and glowing with power as she watched him scream in pain from her blood on his forehead. He was lucky that the temperature was the only pain he'd experience, as if it was able to melt through his flesh like acid, it would have killed him. She watched him scream, almost sadistically, but eventually it became a bit annoying. She used her free hand to wipe the blood from his face and used her shirt to dab the rest away.


Once the blood was gone the pain would subside within a few seconds, and hopefully he'd be able to calm down enough to answer her question this time. She backed away on her grip of his wrists so that the blood could flow again, but not enough for him to move or escape from her grasp. He still wasn't going anywhere, but she took in a breath to relax herself and the glowing in her eyes slowly vanished. Her pupils returned to normal, and she frowned at him.


"I'll only ask you one more time Altus, so you'd better find the strength to answer me this time. Should I save myself the risk of you breaking down on me again and trying to kill me in my sleep, or can I trust you to calm down and get the rest you need to think with a clear head?" She asked, giving him a serious glare.

 

[ANONASAI]

"You can trust me...but can I trust you not to chop my head off again..?" His breath and energy gathered very slow. It will take him time to regain his full self. After the blood was gone, the pain was coming off. And another pain came in. Slifer loosened her locks slightly just enough for the blood to flow on him again. And it was serious pain for Altus when the blood flowed in his empty sockets. He tried to hide the shrieking by tightly closing his eyes and breathing heavily with his mouth shut.

 

[Kyero]

Slifer leaned in closer to where her mouth and now were less than a centimeter away from his face.


"I never tried to chop your head off Altus," she whispered gently.


"I knocked you out so that you could get the rest you needed. If you'd like, I can make you fall asleep via a massage this time instead," she whispered again as she slowly backed away from him with a smile.


Slifer then stepped off of him and stood a few paces away, a small trickle of caution still in her system from his earlier outburst. She gave him a moment to come back to himself as she waited for his response. His crossbow and knife were just behind her feet, so he'd never reach them before she could stop him. She wanted to hear his response to her suggestion before she'd allow him access to his weapons again. She'd definitely keep an eye on him tonight. She could lose a night of sleep if she had to, but right now his weapons were off limits until she knew she was safe around him.

 

[ANONASAI]

"Alright!...alright. Just promise that what you're saying is true. That I'll get a big coin from all of this..." he shouted to Slifer but stayed down as he still need some rest. He looked to his weapons, he might need it tonight. "Uhh..could you pass me my stuff..? It's behind your feet..." he asked.


It was time to continue his plan, sleep from a long distance with a readied weapon. Hopefully...

 

[Kyero]

Slifer smiled, shaking her head.


"Oh no you're weapons are staying with me tonight. I can't trust you with them after what you just pulled."


With that she knelt down and picked them up, cradling them to her chest against her breasts as she walked somewhat provocatively over to her tree and sat down with them in her lap.


"I may be a Dragon Altus, but I know a few things about honor, respect, and commitment. You help me, and you'll be able to make a house of gold by the time we're through. The buried temples and ancient underground and underwater cities which your ancestors made to worship my kind before they turned against us are filled to the brim with gold and all manner of precious gems enough for a thousand lifetimes. After all, Dragons covet such items for bedding, and it was common in the ancient world to provide a homely environment for the Dragons your kind used to worship."


She pulled out a flawless diamond from her pocket, one she'd been saving for over seventy years after one of her first unsuccessful attempts to raid a cult temple. She escaped with her life, and the diamond, but without information that time. She flicked the diamond over to him, as that single gem alone was enough to make all the gold he'd acquired by her side seem like pittance.


"That's a sample for your future Altus. That diamond alone would fetch over one hundred thousand gold coins if sold to the right buyer, or auctioned among nobility for even more. If that's not enough value to you, then you may as well admit that gold and gems are not your true motive."


With that, she leaned back against the tree and kept her eyes on him. She would let him sleep, but his weapons were hers tonight. They were cradled in her lap, not in a ready to use position, but they weren't going anywhere. Altus was too tired to do anything but lay there now, so resting and sleeping were his only options.


"Get some sleep Altus. You will wake up tomorrow. I give you my word on that," she said in a serious tone despite her smile.

 

[ANONASAI]

Altus smiled at the glimmering diamond. The dragon really knows something about commitment. What really made him smile was she said there were more,"Thanks..." it was hard to say it but she deserved it. He rolled himself towards a nearby smooth rock and laid his head on it, his face looking away from Slifer. He hid the diamond on one of his pouches and started closing his eyes,"Slifer, all I want is to be free and do anything I want. I want people to be free and live how they want, whether miserable or happy..." he said following a yawn.


He did not bother himself about his weapons. It was just the crossbow and the dagger. It would be stupid of Altus to just carry two weapons. Specifically, he had one small knife each on both his boots, and his quiver of bolts on his waist could be of good use.


He thought of a silly question and a dangerous question to ask Slifer, but he was serious,"Slifer, where can I find more of your kin's blood?...I could use it..." he asked.

 

[Kyero]

Slifer heard his question, but remained silent as she had an answer but it was one she didn't like nor want to answer.


The only way to get more of her kin's blood was either to get it from Slifer or to kill another of her kin, and that was something she was not going to allow under any circumstances. She was as loyal to her kin as she was to her cause and her quest to prevent Maglissos from begin resurrected.


"I'm sorry Altus, but my blood and that of my kin must remain out of human's hands," she said quietly.


"I have no wish to see Dragon blood spilled for any reason, let alone just to give you a weapon or tool to use for your own purposes. You have everything you need to be what you wish to be. Let it be enough for you," she said, in more of a silent order than a request.


"Now get some sleep, or I'll have to knock you out again."

 

[ANONASAI]

Altus frowned at Slifer's answer. The blood would be really useful in combat. Even one drop could cause you to become insane,"It's a shame..." he said quietly. He could be lucky to find Slifer severely injured and treat her while empty bottles harvest the dragon's blood. For now, all he cared about was sleep.


He shut his eyes and took off his hood, allowing the breeze to embrace his head.