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Fantasy Even Dragons Have Their Ending ||Closed||

OOC
Here
(Please note: This reply is being re-posted on behalf of @Mikotsuhime, with her permission.)​

May turned to Kaida, sweat gathering on his brow as he nodded his head. It seemed that another dragon had been felled, but somebody had already gotten the children off of that one (using strange magic, something he had never seen or felt before, as faint and whispery as the feeling was) so his priority was to free the kids that were stuck levitating.

."Agni!" He called out, and the great dragon twitched his head a fraction towards him.

A retreat had been called, and Agni seemed far more interested in following after the other beasts, gnashing his jaws warningly. May called out to him again, more desperately this time as his grip on the dead dragon slipped a bit, and it dropped a sudden ten feet or so before slowing down to a crawl once more.

Casting one last look at the retreating lead rider, Agni huffed and turned away, beating his wings as he lowered himself to the ground next to May.

May's face broke into a tired, wary smile as Agni actually listened to him for once, and he nodded his head towards Kaida, still keeping his eyes on the beast he was holding in the air as the fight waged on around them. Holding his concentration was getting incredibly hard, especially hearing the cries of a young girl from nearby, but he could only focus on one thing at a time and the kids in the sky were a greater priority.

."Agni, take her up there to get those kids loose," He said, and Agni gave him a very unimpressed look at being ordered around like a common beast. He must have said such to May, through the telepathic link that most draconic species had in common, because May actually /snarled/ at him. "Do it before I lose my grip!

The dragon seemed taken aback for a second, but then lowered his head and moved one wing for Kaida to climb on. He didn't have a saddle (he was not an /animal/ to be /ridden/) so it was a bit of a rough ascent as he took to the skies once more, flying over to the dragon that was still in the sky, floating.​
 
(Please note: This reply is being re-posted on behalf of @quadraxis201, with his permission.)​

Right when Aksil was about to potentially finish the nameless rider off, a defeating roar nearly startled him enough to send him falling off of the flying dragon that served as their dueling platform. With a smirk, the rider swung his sword toward Aksil, but to his surprise, he caught it by the blade and tried to wrench it from his hands. Considering the large gash that Aksil's dagger had left, the rider could not hold on for too long without grimacing in pain. The sword flew from the rider's grasp and plummeted toward the ground, landing far enough away so as not to hurt anyone. With no proper weapon to fight back, the rider balled up his fists. "Still going at it, are you?" Aksil taunted him. "As you wish." His next series of strikes were concentrated on the rider's neck, and it was becoming increasingly apparent that he could not keep his guard up forever. The needle-point weapon that Aksil held created more and more wounds until the rider simply couldn't take the pain in his hands any further and gave up trying to protect his weak spot. With a simple grin and a "goodbye", Aksil made one last slice.

It came to his attention that the dragon was retreating, and it stood to reason that the roar he had heard was a call to retreat. His focus was suddenly fixed on a very large dragon hovering in place over the village with innocents in tow and what he could only assume was the leader of this brigade. He recalled seeing him in the inn, and it seemed appropriate that now he could interfere. Aksil saw another dragon rising up, though this one seemed quite different from the rest, and he hoped for the moment this meant it was an ally.

The retreating dragon, now without its designated rider, was getting unsteady and anxious. It became harder and harder for him to balance on the slick scales of the dragon's back, but when all hope seemed lost, he heard a feminine roar that he recognized - his own dragon. A sleek black shape began closing in fast on Aksil's position, and it was impossible for him not to recognize the dragon's features - the streamlined, aerodynamic body built for speed, the impressive 25 foot wingspan, the magnificent catlike ruby eyes, the scarlet wing membrane, and the curved horns on her head. "Azura, you couldn't have come at a better time." Aksil leaped from the dragon as Azura pulled alongside. Upon landing in her saddle, Aksil gently rubbed Azura's back. "Get me over there, I need to get those children down. If that strange dragon is going where I think it's going, I can set them free while they provide a distraction... hopefully." With a sigh, Aksil added, "Here goes." His form vanished once more as Azura pulled away and sped toward the hovering dragon.
 
(Please note: This reply is being re-posted on behalf of @Canth, with her permission.)​

Alex sighed, dropping his head with a roll of his eyes as Teddy stormed out of the tavern. Perfect. Like mother, like daughter. Not that Ellery was anyone's mother, but it was just an expression. Except Ellery could take care of herself. And their connection would alert him if she was in any serious trouble. It was not the same with Teddy. Knowing he could not leave the young changeling to herself, no matter how capable she was, he made his way to the door, grumbling curses beneath his breath the whole way. He supposed he could not run from this Darkness forever. It would sniff him out sooner or later, whether he liked it or not. He had been hoping for later.

Alex squinted against the sun, not appreciating the way it shone directly into his eyes, which were more sensitive than usual considering how he had spent the last four days. Five days? He had lost track. His ears screamed and his head pounded and he wanted to do nothing more than curl up in a dark, cool cave and sleep for at least a week. The witch looked around, searching through the chaos as he tried to find the only person on this entire planet who he gave any sort of hoot about. Well, one of, but he was obliged to care for Ellery and vice-versa. Teddy had no obligation to Alex, nor he to her. Alex was not accustomed to the term 'friend', but they were more family than friend anyway.

The roar above caught his attention and Alex looked up to find a smaller dragon hovering above. Atop him, the rider who had barged into the tavern right before all Hell had broken loose. Well, not literally. Alex would know if Hell had actually broken loose.

A shout caught Alex's ear and his eyes narrowed as he peered through the crowd of frantic families and departing dragons. There.

A wave of anger rushed over Alex. He was not one to snap to such emotions, generally being of a somewhat level head and finding it to be more fun to sit back and toy with people until they got angry, not the other way around. It was like showing your hand to an enemy, giving them insight into what you cared about, what pushed you over that edge. Such information was never good in the wrong hands. This was an exception however as the man who was to witness Alexander's anger was not going to live to tell of it.

His incantation was riddled with punctuated curses in both English and Latin. From his pocket he drew a small cloth bag tied and marked. He lit it with a match before swallowing it whole. Then, he drew out a small knife with a leather hilt and slid the blade across his right palm. He pushed his left index finger into the blood and drew a hasty heptagram upon his forehead. He wiped the blade off and stuffed it back into its sheath beneath his oversized tunic.

Sharp eyes snapped up at the dragon rider who was attempting to drag Teddy to his dragon. Alex closed the distance quick, and with each step the change came over him. First a fire began to dance at his fingertips, sparking with a hot red flame that emanated more than just heat. His gait shifted from small and weak to strong and haughty. A hand pushed thick black hair from his face as an inky blackness filled his eyes. His face stretched into a sick smile that was far from human.

."I'd get out of the way if I were you," he hissed at the red-head from from the tavern. Alex did not intend to go out of his way to spare the man should he get in the way. His voice had taken on a malicious tone, and it almost echoed as if he were speaking from deep within. The flames dropped from his hands to the ground, seeping into the dirt and surrounding the dragon and rider separately, cutting them off from each other. It lapped at the dragon's scales, pushing her back as she stared in horror at the unfamiliar flame, grumbling as her own fire rose up within her throat.

Alex turned pitch black eyes on the rider. "I would suggest you do as she asks, but your life is no longer dependent upon your compliance."

~

Mariah was almost giddy, emerald eyes wide as she looked upon him in awe. He was magnificent, just the one she had been sent to find, the one who would finally bring her people to power. No longer would they be forced to hide in the shadows, separate from a world that feared their faces. They would be free to walk among men, to take their rightful place at the top where they had ruled once before, many years ago. She felt her strength renewed as she tucked her blades away, the dragons retreating with their riders, leaving little else for her to do but usher children back to their parents and check on those who had yet to waken from their temporary loss of consciousness. She kept the witch in view, watching his display as she comforted a lost child in hysterics.

~

Sasha turned dark eyes on the sky, watching as dozens of dragons escaped with the town's innocents. Some had been saved, sure, but it was not enough. Not only Beth, but many more had been swept away, leaving behind only those too small or weak to be of use, and the twenty or so that they had managed to keep from the Riders' clutches. His heart ached for Beth, her wide eyes singed into his memory. All he could see was her small frame, face pale and eyes red with tears as she stared back at him, waving frantically for the man who had promised no harm would come to her with an ex-Dragon Rider at her side. He had to get her back, and he did not intend to wait five days to find out whether or not the Riders would uphold their end of the bargain.

But it was not over yet. One Rider remained behind, still clutching one last child. Two had already gone to confront him however, and Sasha turned his attention to the children clustered at his feet. He looked around, finding a young woman who seemed to have kept her head in all the commotion. He waved her over.

."I have a few children who need to be returned to their families. I could use some help."

Mariah nodded, stooping to lift two of the children from the ground. Sasha stayed with the others while she left to find the misplaced parents.

~

Ellery was busy rushing children around, counting through the chaos to make note of just how many had been rescued and how many they had failed. She did not like the numbers. Nor the implication. This was already spiraling faster than she had anticipated. Ramesh had warned her of this. To play with such magical power was dangerous, this was a foreseen possibility. Alex had assured her he had accounted for each possible outcome, had set precautions in place. He had spent many weeks, months pouring over books and journals. Had promised not to go through with his plans until he was absolutely certain he could perform the ritual without mistake. He had miscalculated, and everyone else was paying the price.

Ellery was frustrated, but she was more disappointed than angry. Not in Alex, for she knew him and knew that if he promised he had looked into every possibility, then she believed him. She was disappointed that not only had the ritual not worked, but it had left them with an enemy far beyond their skills and expertise. And no matter how far they ran, how well they hid, eventually it would come for Alex. It would find him, and there was nothing Ellery could do to keep it from taking him. As his guardian, she had to find a way to put a stop to all this before they were left without options. She was disappointed in herself.

Ellery recognized Teddy's voice instantly. She carefully pushed a child into the waiting arms of his mother before turning a nose to the air. Crystal eyes narrowed, and after a mere half second of listening, she darted off. The Familiar rounded the corner, only to find Alex had decided to join them after all, instead of hiding like she had suggested he do. She felt his change as she saw it, a frown creasing her lips as she narrowed her eyes at her witch. Now was not the time to be putting on such a display. She was certain she could have dealt with the Rider herself without Alex putting on a show. And the tall gentleman from before, Bram she believed his name was, was already confronting the Rider who had Teddy. The both of them together would have no issue in freeing the girl.

But, it was already too late. Alex was usually good about not showing his hand like this, but Teddy was a particular soft spot. He had little patience when it came to her life and honor. Something to do with the many times she had saved his life as they grew up together on the streets. Perhaps more than he had ever saved hers.

Ellery stopped at Alex's side, drawing twin blades from the air. She glanced sideways at him. Bartlomeij. Alex only ever called on him when he needed something particular done. He meant to finish this Rider.​
 
Kaida tensed as May slipped, just a bit, the dragon dropping lower before jerking to a crawl again. She almost began murmuring to him then, offering advice or encouragement, either would do—but he was not her student, and speaking to him now might only worsen his concentration.

So she stayed silent, eyes fixed on the dead dragon until Agni dropped down next to then, at which point her attention switched to him. She nodded a polite greeting to the dragon, but otherwise did not interrupt as he and May argued; but before she left she rested a slim hand on May's shoulder, in silent reassurance.

Then she was gone, scaling quickly up Agni's side, her steps light and sure-footed as she found a place upon his back and crouched down, bracing herself for the ascent. And well was it that she had, for it was rough, the dragon perhaps not used to ferrying passengers. But she stayed low and kept her balance, her hair catching the wind and streaming out behind her like a banner, and breathed not a word of complaint as Agni drew close to the fallen dragon.

-”Thank you for your assistance,” she told him gravely, leaning close to his head so that she could be heard above the wind noise; and then she gathered herself and leapt.

For a moment she was falling, feeling almost weightless as the air rushed around her, and then she was landing, her eyes flicking quickly around as she took in the situation. Some of the children had fainted from the fright, while others clung to each other, sobbing; and the dragon's rider was still in the saddle, grief and horror stamped upon his face and a terrible, shattered look in his eyes.

He wouldn't be troubling her, she didn't think; but there was no time to be grateful for small mercies, because another dragon was bearing down on them. And she didn't sense darkness swirling around this one, or around the other dragon that some part of her had noticed swooping in; but given everything that was going on, she was understandably wary, all the same. Not to mention the fact that, while she could sense another presence along with the dragon, she saw no one upon its back.

And then from the ground, there came a swell of dark magic, enough to make her shudder; but whatever was going on below, she could not help with it, and worrying about it would only distract her from the task at hand.

So she pushed it to the back of her mind, and kept a careful eye on the approaching dragon as she moved to the children, gently hushing their cries and silently praying for speed and safety as she bent to free them. She did not know how much longer May could keep the dragon in the air—she had to work quickly.

~

Teddy couldn't help the 'eep!' that escaped her as the red-head barreling towards them swung his sword, and despite the fact that it passed harmlessly over her head, the displaced air only ruffling her hair a bit, it was still unnerving. And neither could she help the gasp that wrenched out of her, as the Rider behind her swore and pulled hastily away, yanking her painfully back as he scrambled for his sword with his free hand.

And then she saw Alex striding towards them. She saw the flame at his fingertips and the bloody heptagram on his forehead, she saw the twisted smile on his face and knew, even across the distance, that his eyes had gone wholly, inky black. And relief flooded through her at the same time that dread knotted her stomach, because—because Alex would save her, there was no question about that, but how he saved her—

She shouldn't have called him. The thought was half-wild, and even as she had it she didn't know if it was true, didn't know if she regretted calling out for Alex. But it didn't matter, really—she had been scared, and she had panicked, and even frustrated and angry with him she had known that Alex would come, if she cried for him. And he had.

There was no stopping him, now.

-”Get—get back,” she told Bram breathlessly, and now the fear in her wide eyes wasn't for herself.

She didn't flinch as the flames circled her and the dragonrider, trusted Alex not to burn her. The man behind her, though, had no such assurances, and they both knew it.

-”Just the Rider, Alex, just the Rider,” she said to him, frantic, all but tripping over herself in her haste to get the words out. There was no point in telling him not to hurt the Rider—Ellery wasn't the only one who recognized just who it was Alex had called on. “Don't hurt anybody else. Ellery, don't let him—nngh!”-

Either the sword had been sticking in its sheath or the Rider had been fumbling it—either way, he abandoned the attempt and switched gears. Teddy's words cut out into a wordless, pained noise as he seized a fistful of her hair and used it to drag her head back. He let go of her wrists, but before she could take advantage of that, there was a dagger at her throat and she froze, hardly daring to breathe.

Things were not looking good for the lone Rider. His fellows had abandoned him in order to heed Jeremiah's summons, and now the only ones left were dead or dying—and he had the sinking feeling that unless he did something, quick, he was going to be joining them.

So he pressed the blade firmly against Teddy's throat, ignoring the low noise she made as it bit ever-so-slightly into her skin, and leveled his best warning glare at Bram, Alex, and Ellery. They cared about this kid—he could use that to get away.

-”Back off!” he snarled. “Back off or I kill her!”-
 
(Please note: This reply is being re-posted on behalf of @Reynarda, with her permission.)​

Bram was not the sort of person who backed away from a fight. He wasn't even really paying attention to Alex, but out of the corner of his eye, he saw fire and heard the kid command him. Creepy voice or no, Bram had no intention of just backing away from this fight. And the girl was telling him the same thing, but Bram could not stand the thought of what horrors they might do to her should they escape. He would have continued to duel the Rider had Vlad not suddenly appeared in front of him and begun digging his shoulder into Bram's chest.
Cursing, Bram stumbled back a few steps. "What the blazes?!"-
-"Black magic," was the normally verbose vampire's only answer as he continued to shove Bram back.
-"I don't care if it's pink magic," Bram growled.
He gave way, nonetheless.
Vlad was paranoid, to be sure, but Bram had known him long enough to recognize worry from founded concern. Vlad stopped trying to stump people with his turn of phrase, for one thing. He was also bodily shoving Bram away while holding his cloak around his own body—not a good sign.
Vlad mentally cursed his stupidity in not better checking the auras in the tavern. He had given the witch and cats a cursory glance, but no more. He should have identified Alex better.
Vlad gasped as fire erupted near his feet. It was hot—too hot—even from a distance away. Instinctively, he ignited his own black flames, their energy-sucking nature dropping the temperature to one preferable to vampires.
Worry filled his mind, but Vlad assured his dragon that he was alright.
Starless could sense the dark magic though him, he knew, but she wisely kept to the skies. She hid in the clouds but relayed mental images of the progress with the children trapped on the falling dragon. She expressed confusion as to what this strange—but helpful—dragon was. Vlad did not know, and he did not have time to figure it out.
He was a little more concerned with the witch and the possibility of the village being burned to the ground.
Words were probably useless, but Vlad had never let that stop him.
-"Witchling, mind your friend and this town," he said, even as he made plans to control the damage. "Do not let that filth overtake your better judgement."-
Bram was a little confused.
Vlad had spoken evenly until he reached "that filth". He spat the two words out like poison. Who was this kid? What was going on?
He didn't have much time to ponder it as Vlad had begun shaking out his cloak until it lengthened. Bram glanced between his companion and the Rider, reaching several conclusions at once.
-"Save the girl?" he asked.
Vlad nodded, pulling his hood up. "Save the girl."-​
 
(Please note: This reply is being re-posted on behalf of @Mikotsuhime, with her permission.)​

May was definitely having a hard time of it keeping the dragon in the air; he was doing his best, but after this he would be pretty drained until he at least had a meal. More than that, though, he was going to chew Agni out for starting this predicament in the first place.

The dragon held his head high regally even as Kaida offered her thanks, as though such praises were to be expected, but he did circle around the fallen dragon instead of taking off after the others the way he truly wanted to. He had half a mind to take his anger and annoyance out on the dragon rider, but he did have a duty to protect human life, even if he didn't always do the best job of it. So, instead, he waited, until all of the children were free.

Getting them onto his back was a bit more trouble; he couldn't just hover mid-air the way the other dragon was, and his wingspan was large and cumbersome in this situation. He had half a mind to demand May make a perch for him, but the second he sent the thought to the small mage he recieved a very tired expletive back.

Well, somebody was feeling rude.

Eventually he managed to line himself up with the dead beast, leaning sideways to keep his balance as the children were loaded onto his back. Once he was sure that everybody - including the elf - was aboard, he dropped down towards the village once more, landing with a tremor at the same time as May flung the dead dragon away, causing it to fall into the forest away from the town.

The blond mage was sweating profusely as he noticed yet another altercation happening nearby, and he pulled up his sleeve to have access to all his gemstone bracelets, grasping the ones most associated with protection in his palm and bringing them up to his forehead.

He was not nearly strong enough to actually interfere in... whatever it was that was about to happen, but the least he could do was offer a bit of protection to those nearby.

As soon as he was down and his cargo unloaded, Agni smoothly shifted forms again, returning to his human visage without a single hair out of place or a wrinkle in his shirt.

."I could have pursued them, were I not acting as a beast of burden," he said accusingly, giving May an unhappy look, and May groaned as he tried his best to convey just how displeased and tired he was with his eyes.

."You nearly killed a bunch of kids! To what, to send a message?!" He asked, wobbling a little bit in place. Agni rolled his eyes, but reached out and put a steadying hand on his shoulder anyways.

."Such actions by my cousins will not be tolerated, regardless of if they are simply following orders. They needed to be shown as such," he defended, sounding just the slightest bit sulky.
 
(Here Quad had a reply, but I never read it. The summary Quad gave is thus:

"As a summary of what happened with Aksil, he landed near the inn, examined the young rider he defeated first, made him look like he was sleeping, then said out loud how it was a shame and a waste that someone so young was made to commit something horrible as what just transpired.")​

​
 
(Please note: This reply is being re-posted on behalf of @Canth, with her permission.)​

Ellery's eyes shifted from Alex to Teddy, who was still struggling with the Rider. He seemed to have no intent of giving up. Unfortunately for all of them, that only enticed Bartlomeij.

It was exciting. Delicious. It had been a while since little Lexi had called upon him, and he had grown bored and tired of being stuck downstairs with no way of expending all his pent up energy. Sure, this was not exactly what he had had in mind, but it was better than nothing. An over-confident human trying to play god? Please, like he could even imagine coming anywhere close.

The flames grew as Bartlomeij's smile did, stretching across Alexander's face as a vast darkness descended upon the town, heavy clouds moving in front of the sun to cast long shadows across the earth. Within, Alex could hear Teddy's cries, could hear the vampire telling him to be careful, both warning him against allowing the demon to take this too far. But he was angry, and Bartlomeij knew that. He used that, drew on the witch's vulnerabilities to plant himself firmly in his mind and soul. Alex wanted to give up control, wanted to allow Bartlomeij to take over. It would all be easier that way. Teddy, this Darkness he had unleashed, his impending death that was no less inevitable than the last time he had checked. All of it.

."Alex!"

Alexander snapped to attention, eyes finding Ellery. The Familiar had grabbed his arm as he went to raise it. She shot him a look that was a mixture of both warning and fear. She knew that look in his eye, the one deep below, behind the demon mask he wore. If he even considered relinquishing to the demon, so help her...

."Trust me?" His face had shifted, the smile disappearing as Alex returned. Ellery frowned, searching his black eyes before nodding. She released his arm and stepped aside. She looked back st Teddy, wincing at the silver against her neck.

."It will be alright. Teddy, Everything will be fine, just trust us, okay?"​

Ellery did her best to hold Teddy's eyes. "Just look at me, darling. This will only take a moment."

Alex shook out his shoulders, drawing in a breath as he centered himself. He squared his feet, hands loose at his sides. He exhaled, and eyes snapped back on the Rider, who found himself suddenly paralyzed, unable to move a single muscle. Bartlomeij enjoyed the anger and fear that washed over the Rider's eyes, though Alex turned his attention to Bram.

."Get her out of there," he called over the dragon's cries, his voice hoarse. The surrounding flames lowered, and a gap opened up for Teddy to pass through. The dragon roared, growing frantic as his mind melded with his Rider's. The dragon charged the flames encasing him, but found they hurt more than just regular fire. He hissed as he pulled back, tail lashing back and forth as bright eyes searched for a way out, the circle of fire making it impossible for his wingspan.

~

Sasha waited until Mariah had returned before handing the rest of the children to her care. She frowned, watching as he clutched his cane and hurried over to the commotion with the last remaining Rider and his dragon. Perhaps they could use him to find an easier route to their stronghold. It was a smart move. She expected no less from her people's savior.

Mariah jumped as a dragon suddenly landed not far from where she was shepherding children. Her hand went to her side, fingers poised by the leather hilt beneath her cloak. But then, someone jumped down from the dragon and he did not seem to be with the Riders from earlier. She eyed him as he went over to one of the fallen, bending over it and speaking aloud to himself. Odd. She did not understand the human need to speak their thoughts, but she decided it made her job far easier and she should not complain.

."It's hard to say whose fault it is," she offered with a shrug. "Is the leader to blame for inciting such violence? Or the follower for not standing against such live'?" She dropped her hand to her sided, leaving the hilt where it rested. "But then, this is more than just a simple bad leader, isn't it? I'm not experienced with magic and such, but none of this seems natural. Something else is at work other than the weakness of the human will."
~

Sasha was not exactly sure what was going on. The smaller fellow seemed to be some sort of magician. A practitioner of the dark arts, perhaps. No matter what he was or what he was doing, Sasha could tell it was not going to end well. He did not feel right about leaving the Rider to the man's mercy, but Sasha had bigger priorities. And, if he did not act quickly, the dragon would be lost alongside his Rider.

He hurried to the dragon's side, keeping a safe enough distance from the flame so that he could still feel the intense heat emanating from it, but it did not physically burn him. He called up to the dragon with a whistle.

."Right here, yes, look at me." He caught the dragon's gaze, staring deep into his eyes, searching. The dragon was terrified, it was obvious. Frantic images rushed through his head as his and his Rider's fears melded into

."No, stay with me," he called the dragon back. "Stay with me...Lorn." The dragon gave him his name. The abbreviated version of course, the true name being far too long and convoluted to be of any use to Sasha or most other humans. "Lorn, perfect. Just keep your eyes on me, child. You have nothing to fear."​
 
Kaida freed the conscious children first, steadying them until they found their footing atop the dragon's back. They were frightened, of course, but thankfully they were old enough to understand that the strange lady with the odd markings on her face was trying to help, and they did their best to work with her. One little girl could not help but cling to her rescuer, trembling like a leaf—and Kaida could not stop to comfort her, felt the press of time too keenly for that. But neither could she ignore the child, so she sang softly, the lilting words of an old elvish lullaby falling lightly from her tongue. And it seemed to help, so she kept it up as she went, the little ones sticking close to her as she moved down the line.

Transferring them to Agni's back posed more of a problem, however. She was beginning to give serious consideration to the idea of leaping the gap, ferrying the children across one at a time, when at last Agni managed to draw close and keep beside them, rendering such acrobatics unnecessary. Instead, she was able to simply lower the children down, one by one; and then she went back for the unconscious ones.

Thankfully only two had fainted, and so she was able to hold one in each arm as she made her way back, handing them down to the waiting children below—and then she paused, glancing back at the dragonrider. She hesitated for only a moment; and then she was at his side, slashing through the straps that held him in the saddle and taking him by the arm, hauling him up and pulling him along with her as she finally dropped back down to Agni's back.

She gathered the children to her, shielding them from the buffeting winds as Agni flew back down to earth; and when they set down, she brought the dragonrider down with her first. When she let go of him, he slumped to the ground, eyes open but unseeing.

The bond between a dragon and its rider was a powerful thing; and the pain that came, when that bond was severed, was equally powerful. This rider, it seemed, was not taking the loss well.

But she could not spare her attention for him, already going back to help the children dismount. The 'suoicsnocnu two she settled against a wall, sitting up, to wait until they awoke; and the others huddled close, seeking comfort as the adrenaline faded and left them shaking with relief.

And now she was able to give it to them, smoothing gentle hands over their hair and murmuring soothingly.

Over their heads, she could see the last dragonrider, surrounded by flames, fear in the face of the child he held—but four had gone to confront him, now. Among their number was the man with the cats (and the silver-haired woman beside him had the same aura as the white cat that had been with him—and that explained the magic, then), and though she could not see his face, she could feel the dark magic swirling around him, dark and hungry. So he was the source of what she had felt, up in the air.

Her eyes lingered on him for a long moment, then at last moved away, to the dragon that was also encircled by flames. His roars were pained, panicked—but someone else was already attending to him, the older man from the inn, who had been sitting with the innkeeper's daughter.

There was nothing she could do for them—she could not leave the children.

So she tore her gaze away, and it landed instead on Agni and May. And the mage was clearly exhausted, his energy spent on keeping the dragon in the air; but even so he was working another spell. She could feel his magic ripple out, offering protection to those nearby.

-”You did well,” she told him, just as gravely as she had thanked Ani for his help. “You saved these little ones.”-

Without his intervention, they would surely all have died.

-”Thank you.”-

~

With her head pulled back the way it was, Teddy had a clear view of the sky as the clouds rolled in, unnaturally fast, covering the sun and casting the town into shadow, and—oh. That was bad. That was really bad, and if she had been free she would have run to him, would have latched onto his arm and pulled him back before he did something he could never undo—

If she had been free, though, then they wouldn't be in this situation to begin with.

But Ellery was there, and she did what Teddy couldn't, and as Bartlomeij's smile disappeared and Alex's expression went back to being Alex, Teddy's eyes slipped shut with relief.

Only for a moment, then Ellery was talking to her and she opened them again, blinking stinging sweat out of her eyes. Alex's flames wouldn't burn her, but she couldn't escape their oppressive heat; and she had to wet her lips before she could answer.

“Of course,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper, because that was the most she could manage without moving and she was hyperaware of the blade at her throat. And she said it with quiet, complete faith, because of course Alex and Ellery had her trust—they were the only ones in the world who had it completely.

They didn't even need to ask for it.

Obediently she let Ellery catch and hold her eyes, even as she quailed inside at what it meant, that Ellery didn't want her to watch. Nearby a dragon was bellowing, fearful, but she didn't search for it; she didn't try to turn and look, when its roars quieted; didn't glance at Alex to see the blood on his face or his solid black eyes.

Just look at me, Ellery had said, and trustingly she did.

Behind her, the Rider went still. It took her a moment to realize that it was an unnatural stillness, not just a pause, but when she did her hands flew up to pull at his arm, trying to pry the knife away from her throat. In front of her, Alex's flames lowered, opening a gap for her to get through if she could just—get—loose—
 
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Vlad was shifting from foot to foot as he watched the flames and the witch. Then he was looking up at the sky, murmuring what almost sounded like a prayer in his native tongue. Bram hadn’t caught the words exactly, but it sounded like a prayer or a warding or a blessing. As it was, the vampire shifted, and Bram could sense him preparing his magic—he didn’t know how, okay, he just could. All this was making Bram nervous. Vlad never fidgeted like this. He almost yelled at him to stop, but Vlad spoke first.
“Avoid that Hellfire,” Vlad said, removing his now-elongated cloak and throwing it around Bram’s shoulders.
“That what?” Bram asked, quite used to Vlad’s weird magic cloak and how it was heavier than it should have been.
But Flame Boy was yelling at him to grab the girl. Energy-sucking black fire ignited in a path to the girl, the cold flames licking at Bram’s feet. They had hurt him once, but no more. He had a feeling he knew why, but Vlad hadn’t said anything, and Bram most certainly was not going to talk about it.
Bram rushed forward through the opening. Deftly, he removed the knife from where it threatened the girl’s neck and pushed the Rider back from her. Without so much as a “How d’ya do”, Bram scooped her up, wrapping them both in Vlad’s cloak, and ran back through the opening in the flames.
Even with Vlad’s weird cloak, he could feel the heat of the flames. And they didn’t just touch his skin, but it felt deeper. He set the girl down next to the agitated vampire and knelt in front of her.
“Can I examine you for injuries?” he asked. “Does anything hurt besides your neck?”
Glancing back at the still agitated vampire, he asked, “What is that?”
“Your idiotic equal.”
“Smartass. I’m serious.”
“I say you play with fire, but that witchling literally plays with fire. Hellfire. It will consume him, eventually.”
“Vlad,” Bram scolded, glancing apologetically at the girl. “Sorry, I’d be lying if I said he’s usually not so acidic, but usually he just mutters it low enough for only me to hear.”
“He deals with demons, Abraham.”
“‘Demons’?”
“Lords of the flies, devils, fallen angels, Beelze—”
“I know what demons are,” Bram interrupted. “I just didn’t think they were real.”
“You think werewolf-monkeys exist, yet you have no belief in the existence of demons?”
“Werewolf-monkeys exist!” Bram said with a wink at Teddy. While Vlad spluttered at Bram’s stupidity, he asked Teddy, “You got a name, kiddo?”​
 
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May blinked up at Kaida, his mouth opening into o shape like a goldfish at her praise. He was not used to being /thanked/ for his magic, but it certainly left a warm and fuzzy feeling inside of his chest. His face flushed a little then, and he rubbed the back of his head bashfully.

"Oh, uh, thanks. I mean, you're welcome. Or, uh, whichever of those is appropriate in this situation, I don't really know. I'm not really used to people thanking me, you know," he rambled, and Agni gave him a sour glare as he turned his attention to the others. The older man from the inn was attempting to sooth the dragon of the rider that was surely about to go up in flames; while practical, Agni disliked the idea of letting one of his cousins go unpunished for their actions that so obviously defied the morals he and the others of his own kind had set out. A part of him wanted to fell the beast immediately, sink his teeth into its neck, but he had already shifted back, and had no intention of changing again until they needed to start pursuit.

Besides, there was energy there that he did not want to mess with. The hellfire and the witch calling upon demons sent his instincts as a protective deity into overdrive, goading him to get involved and eliminate the threat to the land and its people. But the witch seemed to have the darkness under control, if barely, and Agni knew that if he gave in and got involved, things would be far bloodier for the town and its people in the long run.

May couldn't sense any of that, and his limited knowledge of black magic didn't really include things like demonic summonings or hellfire; all he knew was that the little girl had been in danger, and her friend was saving her. So he had offered up what little protection he could, both to her and the mage, even with his prana running on empty. But as soon as Bram had guided the girl free of the fire, May let the spell lift, slumping against a nearby building with a sigh.

Agni looked back at him, eyes narrowed in disapproval.

"You need to track them," he said firmly, and May opened one eye to glare at him.

Really, Agni was just trying to distract the mage from the obvious oncoming end of the dragon rider. May seemed to think that the flames would disappear once the girl was safe and the rider would be subdued, but Agni could tell that such was far from the witch's intent. Despite being the older and more worldly of the two, May was also the more naiive, in many ways. He couldn't parse the idea that somebody who would put themselves at risk to save a friend would also just as willingly take a life for vengeance. It was a purity that didn't make sense when considering the dark source of the mage's own magic.

Such was one of the many things about May that Agni didn't truly understand, and that gave him pause when he thought about the fate that would surely befall the older man.

Almost as if sensing Agni's discomfort and need for a distraction, May forced his head up and rolled up his sleeves, pulling himself to wobbly feet as he headed over to where Vlad and Bram had Teddy, now safe.

"Hey, are you ok? Do you need healing at all? I'm not exactly a dedicated healer or anything but I can do my best if you need it!"
 
Aksil was surprised to suddenly hear someone speak to him. His head flicked up momentarily to find the source of the voice, and he noticed Mariah standing over him. Aksil quickly looked back down and to his left side, a sign of embarassment. "I need to stop doing that..." He murmured as his cheeks turned a bit flushed. Upon standing up, his unpatched eye met Mariah's and he added, "Either way, you're right. I have heard the rumors about this happening, but seeing it myself is... quite the experience. Despite how few interactions I've had with my fellow riders, I can definitely tell that actions like what this village just witnessed are vastly outside the scope of what the Riders' Order stands for. I've never received orders to go so far as to commit anything as foul as extortion and kidnapping against innocent civilians. Perhaps it is fortunate, then, that I've distanced myself from them."

Aksil stowed away one of his daggers and pointed the other one toward Mariah in a non-threatening way, as if to express a point. "Whatever ails them, I certainly don't have it." Having said that, he sheathed his second dagger as he did with the first. "I have felled numerous vile creatures before. Goblins, werewolves, minotaurs, nagas, the list goes on. They steal a number of things from villages, cities, and castle towns of all shapes and sizes - gold, gems, weapons, livestock, and even princesses. Why do they do it? The answer - chaos for the sake of chaos. They know no better, and seek only to make human lives worse." Aksil folded his arms and about-faced, trailing gently away from Mariah while still speaking with her. "That is where the Dark Dragon Riders come in. There are very few of us, but we don't need large numbers. Whatever has the gall to fight us, they do not see us coming in the dead of night. They do not see the dark shapes swooping silently under the starless sky. They do not see the assassins hiding in the rafters of the long-abandoned forts they utilize. Most importantly, though..." With a soft chuckle, Aksil spun around almost instantly. "They do not live to see the rush of blood that emerges from their necks when I come for them and let my blades loose."

His joviality at describing his job gradually faded, however, when he saw the young rider's lifeless body on the ground, resting in a crimson pool emanating from a large gash across the front of his neck. "To be forced to do the same thing to someone as young as him, though... even I find that concept unnerving." Aksil brushed himself off. "Though, enough about me. Who might you be? I saw you helping the innkeeper guide lost children back home. I am Aksil, and that," He pointed to his dragon, who had decided to seat herself on the ground and curl her tail up in relaxation. "...is Azura. She and I share a connection unlike most dragon riders." Aksil lightly tapped his eyepatch.
 
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As soon as Teddy was out of the way, Alexander snapped his fingers and the Rider went up in flame. It was an evil fire that clung to his soul as it licked the flesh from his bones. He tried to scream, to beg, but all that came forth from his paralyzed lungs was a garbled string of incoherencies. Thirty seconds passed before he lost consciousness. Impressive—most people only lasted ten.

“Alex—!” Ellery grabbed her witch’s shoulder, yanking him back. Horror was writ upon her face—not because of what Alex was doing, but because he was doing it in front of Teddy. He knew better. And when she caught Alex’s eyes, they were calm. Cold. Bartlomeij’s sick smile was missing. This was not the demon, this was Alex.

Ellery shifted her grip on her right blade as she placed herself in front of Alex, setting the sharp steel to his neck.

“Drop it.” Her voice was stern as narrowed eyes searched his black ones. A few seconds later, the flames dropped, disappearing into the ground. The Rider collapsed, released from his bindings, face beyond recognition.

Lorn wailed in his grief, a cry felt deep within the earth. Wings fell limp at his sides, mind a whirlwind of emotions that tore through his consciousness. An entire part of his being was ripped away, leaving him lost and alone and in so much pain. Sasha did his best, trying to ease the dragon, to call him from his turmoil. It was no use. Lorn stooped and took his Rider in his teeth, before taking to the air one last time. They made for the north, for home. They would not make it.

“The Hell was that?!” Before the dragon was out of sight, Sasha was storming over towards the witch. He knew all too well the pain of such a loss. Ellery intercepted, planting herself in front of Alex. She looked up at the ex-Rider with the ferocity and determination of one who had fought many his superior, twin blades in either hand, poised to strike.

Meanwhile, Alex was on his hands and knees, retching black goo. It oozed from his mouth and eyes, his small frame assaulted with a barrage of spasms as blood mixed with the goo upon the dirt. The black substance seeped into the ground and disappeared like the fires before. The blood did not.

Alex fell into a rather involved coughing fit for a few minutes, blood speckling both the ground and his hand. Once he had removed the excess liquid from his lungs, he wiped his sleeve across his mouth and made to stand up. And then promptly sat back down. His head was spinning and he was having trouble determining which way was up. This was precisely the reason he kept Ellery around. No matter how frustrating and idiotic her witch may be, Ellery would die for him.

“Calm down...grandpa,” Alex wheezed from behind the Familiar, hand on his head as he blinked aggressively at the ground. “S’not like he was a saint or nothin’.”

~

Mariah cocked a brow as the man spoke. She had not anticipated a history lesson, but she supposed if he was so willing to depart with such information, she would have it. She was not familiar with the Dark Dragon Riders, though he portrayed them as a sort of freelance team set apart from the Mountain. Her knowledge of the Riders and their Dragons was limited to what her people knew. They had little dealings with them and it had been many hundred years since they had set foot in these parts. Mariah had vague memories of the days before their exile, but she had been young then.

“Mariah,” she was quick to respond, and then glanced over at the large black dragon, directing the conversation away from her. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen a dragon like yours before. May I?” She motioned towards Azura, asking if she might approach the dragon to see her up close.
 
Kaida couldn't muster a smile, not under the circumstances, but her eyes went soft as May rambled, clearly pleased by the praise but not quite sure what to do with it.

Agni's order for a tracking spell broke the moment, however, and brought her attention back to the matter at hand. She did not think May could oblige him; the mage looked spent, and felt it as well, if the one-eyed glare he gave his companion was anything to go by. But perhaps...

She had decided not to use magic, when she had left home. There was too much potential for it to draw undue attention, raise questions. But the circumstances being what they were...

To track a presence was not too intricate a working.

The dragons had not yet disappeared from the sky, and she could still feel their presences, at the edges of her senses. Soon, they would pass out of her range—but there was still time enough for her to cast out a thread of her power and tie it lightly to the last dragon in the group.

And then they were gone; but when she closed her eyes she could still feel that dragon, even as the others passed beyond her senses.

“They return North,” she murmured, opening her eyes again. Back to the mountain they called home, unless she missed her guess.

Now, her eyes caught back upon the final rider, as the red-haired man from the inn wrested the girl out of his grasp. And that could have been the end of it—with the child no longer in danger, and the Rider now vastly outnumbered, it would have been an easy thing to subdue him.

But the witch did not release his magic—and Kaida realized that he had no intention of leaving the dragonrider alive.

Quickly she turned, pulling the children to her and turning their heads away.

-”Cover your ears,” she said to them, and spoke quickly to them in Elvish, to keep their attention on her.

~

Strong hands pulled the knife away, and Teddy sucked in a full, deep breath (her first since the Rider had decided to place a blade at her throat) and promptly started coughing. The sharp motions yanked unpleasantly at her hair, where the Rider's other hand was still frozen with a fistful of her curls; but Bram was already on it, pushing the Rider back, and her hair pulled free.

And then without warning he was scooping her up, Teddy making a startled noise and feeling rather dwarfed at how easily the man could lift her and bundle her against his chest. The cloak he wrapped around her and himself seemed to dampen the heat of the flames, and it felt—safe, somehow, to be wrapped up and carried away. Even if it did make her feel small.

One hand went to her throat, where the knife's edge had been, but touching it stung sharply, so she pulled it away again. And there was blood, now, smudged on her fingertips—not a lot, but it was starkly red against the paleness of her skin, and she stared at it, mesmerized, until she was set down and someone started talking to her.

She tore her attention away from the blood on her fingers and looked up, her eyes straying to Vlad—he looked upset, a distant part of her brain noticed—before fixing on Bram. She blinked at him, the words not quite registering; then something shifted and her mind caught up.

”Oh,” she said, but her voice came out thin, her mouth and throat too dry, so she swallowed before trying again. “O-okay. Um.”

Did anything hurt?

The neck, he had mentioned the neck, but—it didn't hurt very badly, and she didn't think the cut was very deep. There wasn't enough blood for that. Probably he had just pressed the blade too close. Her head was sore—the scalp, really, it was protesting her hair being used as a handle, but that wasn't anything worth worrying about. Besides those—

She had thought that she hadn't really been hurt, but as she thought about it, she became aware of a pain in her right shoulder and down into her arm. Glancing down at it, she moved the arm experimentally, and winced as it throbbed in protest. It was the arm that the Rider had grabbed first. Maybe something had been damaged, when he twisted it up—

Hellfire.

It will consume him, eventually.

That caught and held her attention, her eyes wide and stricken as she looked up at Vlad. And it was—it was true, she knew that. She knew that it was dangerous for Alex to use his magic. She wished dearly that he would stop; but she had argued and pleaded with him to do so for years, with no effect. Alex was resolute—he would not give it up.

Even so, reminders always hit her hard. No matter how many times she thought of it, it always made her heart seem to stutter in her chest. And there was something else, something that stopped her in her tracks; because until now, she had not considered the price that Alex would pay for coming to her aid. Now, it filled her mind.

How much had she cost him, when he called on Bartlomeij in order to save her?

She didn't really respond to Bram's apologetic glance, or to the subsequent arguing between him and Vlad. In the end, the thing that shook her out of her thoughts was Bram asking for her name—because Ellery had taught her manners, and ignoring someone's request for introductions was in no way polite.

”Teddy,” she said, gathering herself. “I'm Teddy.”

And she still hadn't answered his second question, yet, so she took a breath and made herself focus, not letting her mind wander off on tangents, as it seemed to want to do (Werewolf-monkeys?).

“And, um. My arm and shoulder hurt,” she finally got out, left hand fluttering over the limb in question to show which one she meant. “I think maybe he—when he twisted it—“

Now a new voice drew close, offering help, and Teddy looked up at May as he came to a stop beside them. She blinked at him, too, not used to being the center of so many people's attention

“I,” she started, and then stopped, unsure. Did she need healing? She felt as if she should turn him down—the man looked about ready to fall over—but even as she considered it the throb in her arm deepened. “...Maybe?”

Where she had been placed, she was facing away from Alex and Ellery, and the Rider that had tried to kidnap her; and with her attention fixed on Bram and Vlad, and now on May, she hadn't thought to turn to look. When the Rider's stream of garbled words reached her ears, though, that changed.

She twisted, searching for the cause of the noise—and what she saw made her go abruptly pale, horror clear in her wide eyes. And her horror was not for who was there to see, but for Alex's actions, themselves.

He had never shown her anything like this, before; she didn't know to expect it from him. She had known he would hurt the Rider, but she hadn't thought he would—he would—

“Alex,” she croaked, clearly distressed, and then—and then Ellery was holding a sword on Alex, and she didn't, she didn't understand—

The flames lowered; the Rider dropped. And Alex dropped too, falling to his hands and knees and retching horribly, something black splattering on the ground underneath him.

“Alex!”

And even though she didn't understand, even though she was horrified by what he'd just done, it was still Alex. She tried to get up, but now that her life was no longer in imminent danger her knees decided that it was an excellent time to give out.
 
Bram gave Vlad a reproachful glare when the girl’s face seemed to fall at his words. The vampire must have sensed it, because he turned from watching the witch wreak destruction to meet Bram’s glare. Bram assumed Vlad must have felt a little guilty, because he looked away first and turned back to keep watch. He could tell by the vampire’s stance that he had every intention of protecting him and the little girl, and Bram could see enough of the havoc to know that she shouldn’t see it.

When the girl gave him her name, Bram nodded. “Well, Teddy, I’m Bram.” He jerked his head back at the vampire. “The ass is Vlad.”

“Vladimir,” Vlad corrected out of habit.

“I would like to say he doesn’t think before he speaks, but he does. He just doesn’t consider people’s feelings,” Bram continued, more in the attempt to keep her distracted than to actually impart information. “And he gets like that when he’s worried or agitated.”

He paused long enough to listen to her before nodding. As he felt along her arm, looking for breaks, he mused, “Is it dislocated? It might just be sprained.”

Bram looked up from his examination of Teddy.

“No offense, kid,” he said, which always prefaced something offensive. “But you look like you’re about to drop dead.”

Without turning, Vlad said, “If the mageling wishes to help, it might be—”

He cut himself off as Teddy cried out. He thought to extend his cloak to block her view, but of course he wasn’t wearing his cloak—Bram still had it. He tensed when the witch’s familiar warned him with her blade, ready to grab to girl should she make a break for it. She did seem like she was about to, but her legs had other ideas.

The threat gone, Vlad immediately crouched by the girl, humming softly deep in his throat. “Calm, little one,” he murmured. “He is fine. The demon is gone from him—back to where it belongs. With a little rest and some food, he will be right as rain.”

His eyebrows were actually pulled up in concern, so Bram ruffled his hair as he rocked to his feet. Vlad’s lip twisted up in annoyance, but he remembered just in time not to show off too much of his teeth lest he frighten the little girl. He settled on just glaring up at Bram before turning a much softened gaze back to Teddy.

Bram nodded to the new kid, who he guessed was some kind of mage. “Maybe just a general healing spell or whatever.”
 
May turned a sickly shade of white upon seeing the dragon rider's death. For a moment it looked as though he might start dry-heaving - he hadn't actually had any breakfast that morning to throw up - but Agni quickly placed a hand on his shoulder to distract him. It didn't seem to be working very well.

"How could-- that's horrible! He was a /person/!" He wasn't directing the words specifically at Alex, because he seemed to be having some difficulties of his own. But he did turn a pleading look to Agni, as though asking why he didn't /do/ anything, and Agni merely shrugged his shoulders.

"I do not meddle in the affairs of devils," he said shortly, and May looked like he desperately wanted to argue against that, to reinforce that Agni was a /protective/ deity who was supposed to be /protecting/ people, but the dragon cut off his words before they could come out. "I am not risking a violent and bloody battle for the sake of a man who was neither a follower or a good person. If you take issue, serpent, you can recite such in your nightly prayers."

May glared at him, clenching his fists and his teeth, before he dragged his gaze away to focus back on Teddy and the others.

"I'm fine," he said in response to Bram's comment, though Agni was giving him a critical look.

"You are low on prana," he pointed out, drawing a dagger from his belt and pricking the pad of his thumb on the tip of the blade. A drop of blood oozed out, and he unceremoniously shoved the digit into the mage's mouth when he opened it to protest. May's eyes widened at the action, in front of /civilians/ no less, his cheeks flushing a bit in embarrassment, but Agni was right, and him offering his own magic was rare enough that May knew better than to refuse the gift. He sucked on the digit for a second before pulling away, wiping at his mouth and muttering something about 'I hope you washed your hands'.

The gift of prana had helped, though; it was instantly clear from the way that he stood, no longer looking as though he was about to fall over and his usual energy quickly returning.

"Ok, healing. I can do healing. Your shoulder and arm, right? Hm, ok, green tourmaline, I have that one..." He fumbled with his bracelets before settling on a pale green stone and pulling it into his hand. "Is it ok if I touch you? I'm just gonna..." he laid his fist with the stone gently against her shoulder, all the while Agni crossed his arms and switched back and forth between surveying the scene in front of him and the witch, who he still perceived as a threat. At least he no longer seemed to be under demonic control, but the fact that he convened with such creatures still put Agni off. Not to mention the fact that the scene with the hellfire and the dying rider had seriously shaken May; he seemed to have gotten over it to focus on using his magic again, but Agni could see the slight shake in his hands that had nothing to do with exhaustion.

Glancing back at Kaida, he ignored the frightened children and her attempts to comfort them.

"North, you say? They must have retreated into the mountains. Serpent, we should pursue as soon as you're finished with your healing act. I wish to find the leader of the dragons and execute him myself."
 
Aksil trailed over to Azura once Mariah had asked to see her. "Will that be alright with you, Azura?" He asked his dragon, who slowly bowed her head. Turning to Mariah, Aksil said, "It would seem she is permitting you to look at her. In that case, go ahead, Mariah." Upon remembering something, Aksil raised a gloved finger. "Ah, but do try not to anger her. Dark Dragon breath is especially lethal. While most dragons breathe fire, ice, or even potent bursts of lightning, Azura breathes pure dark energy that will eat through anything it touches like acid. Only properly enchanted armor and shields can completely ward it off."

Azura yawned and flexed her spiked wings with their deep red membrane. Her ruby-like eyes met Mariah's as she got back on her feet, glaring at her like ominous orbs yet without bearing any hostile intent. Azura's claws seemed to be less for direct physical assault and more for self-defense, being a bit small when compared to those of the other dragons that had just attacked Rhoddim.

"Dragons like her are rare indeed, even more so when her kind are frequently culled by humans out of fear. That is why they are not found at the Mountain that most dragons come from, but rather, in isolated breeding grounds, away from prying eyes. There is also the matter of... the Sun. A creature like Azura is not camouflaged at all against a blue daytime sky. As such, should you ever wish to find one, you must seek a location where the Sun almost never shines, if at all. My homeland provided one such spot, and that is where we found each other. Though, I am certain you will not be as fortunate as I was, for dragons of darkness can be quite hostile, and require a special ritual in order for one to be tamed for riding. Should it be done, however, you are certainly rewarded." Aksil explained. "I myself received a gift from her after some time had passed."
 
Sasha was not happy. This town had adopted him fifteen years ago. They had been good to him. To see them torn apart, the Riders not only taking off with their children but leaving many homes destroyed and burnt to the ground. He could only bear so much, and though he had always been a quite man who spent most of his time observing than speaking, he felt his old anger well up inside him. An anger he had not felt for a very long time. And now this kid was trying to mock that anger.

“There are children around! Did you not consider them before you brought your magic here?! You took two lives today. You have no right to gauge their worth on your own!”

Alex was slowly recovering, his breaths slowing as his head finally leveled out. His hands shook and he could feel his stomach churning inside, but that was all pretty normal day-to-day for him. He managed to push himself to his feet, one hand on Ellery’s shoulder for support, the Familiar still planted firm in front of him.

“Children?” Alex glanced around, failing to see all these children Sasha was speaking of. “I’m pretty sure they were all—“

“This Rider sealed his fate when he succumbed to his greed and treachery.” Ellery interrupted before her witch could finish. “It is unfortunate that the beast was made victim as well, but he was not without fault. They both knew the consequences of their actions and paid the appropriate price.” The look on the ex-Rider’s face was enough for Ellery to know he had no intention of going down without a fight, and despite all appearances, he would not be as easy a foe as the Rider Alex had just taken down. Not to mention Alex was in no state to be conjuring any of his demons for a little while.

“Unfortunate?!” Sasha was not having it, growing more and more furious with every word. The woman, he felt pity for. She was forced to protect this filth. To make excuses for the inexcusable. The witch, he detested.

“Sasha!” Arthur came up to Sasha’s side, grabbing his arm and pulling him back. The larger man was shaken from his anger as he looked down on the distraught father of three.

Ellery took this opportunity to grab her witch, slipping an arm beneath his to hold him up. She pulled him away from the hostile ex-Rider, who was now attempting to comfort the Innkeeper and assure him that all would be well. That Beth would be returned to him unharmed. Ellery was not sure how true that statement might be, but she felt her own fire burning within her. She needed to do something about all this. These children were innocent, caught in the cross-fire in a war they did not even know was going on. These people, this town. They were her responsibility now.

“Teddy,” Ellery set her witch down on an overturned crate that had once held apples; the lifeblood of the Jackson family. He slumped, hair thick and shaggy in front of his face, which was pale and thin. He was fumbling in his pockets for something that might help him recover faster, a sprig of dried lavender or mint perhaps. Some incense or oils to at least get his legs working.

The Familiar left him to tend to their third party. She eyed the others with mild suspicion, though they were sure to be more suspicious of her than the other way around. She watched as the young mage worked his healing magic, finding herself intrigued by the use of stones in his work. She wanted to ask, to learn, but knew she first needed to tend to Teddy.

“How are you feeling?” Despite the others, she knelt beside the girl, resting a gentle hand upon her knee.

~

Mariah watched Azura for a moment, allowing her space to stretch and settle before stepping forward. She moved slow, careful not to seem a threat. Because, she was not. Despite herself, she was in awe at this creature. She knew dragons, and had never thought much of them. This creature however, was no regular dragon. Her presence felt familiar and Mariah resisted the urge to show her true form to the beast, for though she felt as if they might find a connection in their shared darkness, she was not yet ready to reveal her nature. Still, she moved forward, one hand out in offering of her good intentions as she became lost in Azura's ruby eyes.

Slowly, Mariah placed a gentle hand upon the dragon's hide. "She's beautiful," she murmured. She drew in a breath, and then broke her mesmerization. She looked over at Aksil.

"What sort of gift?"
 
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Now that the worst of it was over, a few of the village women approached, though they eyed the strangers with some trepidation. They beckoned to the children, and Kaida gently nudged them forward and watched as the women took them away, back to their families. Many parents clutched their children, their relief unmistakable; but many more stood with empty arms and grief-stricken faces.

They had saved perhaps a quarter of the young ones that the Riders had sought to steal.

It did not feel like a victory.

“They will go to the Northern Mountains, to the caverns of their home,” she said, more to herself than to anyone around her. “That is where the little ones will be.”

She was only supposed to be here to see what was happening in the world, to gather information and see if there was any truth in the rumors she had heard. She was not here to take action. But the rumors swirling around the dragonriders had been proven true beyond a doubt; and she could not sit idly by while children were used as bargaining chips.

And the darkness that had tainted the presences of dragons and Riders alike troubled her. She had heard nothing of Riders dabbling in the dark arts; and now that, too, must be investigated.

At last she turned back to Agni.

”Tell me,” she said, and her tone was steady and neutral. “Do you go for the children that were taken? Or only to slay the dragons' leader?”-

It could very well be both. But Agni was the one who had torn out the throat of a dragon and left its passengers to die, heedless of the innocents who had been trapped along with the Rider. Somehow, she doubted that rescuing those who had been stolen away was not especially high on his list of priorities.

~

“I'm not little,” Teddy said automatically, despite all the evidence pointing to the conclusion that she was, in fact, little (the average human might not be seven feet tall, but even for them five foot one inch was short)—but she could muster no heat for the words. Her hands twisted in the fabric of her skirts, a silent sign of her distress, but she took a deep, ragged breath and tried to focus on what Vlad was saying.

Of course he was right. Bartlomeij had been sent back, and it was just Alex, again; and the black stuff he was coughing up, while alarming, was normal for a post-possession. Given time, and food, and rest, he would soon be back to normal.

But normal didn't mean healthy, even if he never called on another demon again. But he would, something would happen and he would call one to him without hesitation, and they'd be right back here again, with Alex coughing up blood and black gunk.

And there was still the fact that he—

“He killed him,” she whispered, her knuckles going white with how hard she was clenching her hands in her skirt. She couldn't bring herself to meet Vlad's eyes. “I, I didn't—I didn't mean for him to kill him.”

And then from behind her there came May's sick disbelief, and even if it wasn't directed at Alex, Teddy still flinched and went quiet. He isn't a bad person, she wanted to tell him, and Vlad and Bram, and the angry man who was confronting Alex and Ellery. He isn't. But there was a lump in her throat that kept her from speaking.

She didn't look up until May started talking to her, fumbling with his bracelets. And normally, she would have been overflowing with questions for him (He used gems for magic? Why? Did they help channel his magic, or were they enchanted themselves, or--?), would have cheerfully badgered him for answers while he worked—but now she said nothing, just nodded when he asked if he could touch her and held still while he worked.

Some of the tension eased out of her shoulders as the pain dissipated, and she breathed a near-silent sigh of relief and managed a quiet “Thank you,” around the lump in her throat. Still, she was far from relaxed when Ellery joined them, kneeling down beside her and putting a comforting hand on her knee; and the eyes that Teddy turned on her friend were lost, somehow.

She didn't answer the Familiar's question.

“Ellery,” she whispered instead, her voice small. “Is it my fault that man is dead? If I hadn't run out like that—“

If she hadn't run out, then the Rider would have never had a chance to grab her. Or if she had been stronger, she could have broken free herself; and either way, Alex wouldn't have had to rescue her. And if Alex hadn't needed to save her, then he wouldn't have called on Bartlomeij—

She had only wanted to help, but instead...
 
That… was weird. And bordering on vampireism, in Bram’s humble opinion. He eyed the dragon-person-prince-thing in suspicion, but the other kid seemed decent enough. He stepped back to give May and his rocks room.

As the mage healed Teddy, Bram surveyed the scene. It was total destruction. Countless homes burned, these two charred bodies, children missing. Pain, everywhere he looked. Lost friends, daughters, sons, siblings.

“Vlad,” Bram said.

The vampire nodded in agreement. He shifted to give the familiar room to tend to her charge. He glanced sideways at her, deciding to let her answer whether or not the destruction was her fault. He doubted any assurances he gave would be comforting. Vlad sighed, wishing he knew what languages she spoke so as to spare the shapeshifter from what he intended to ask and what he guessed the familiar would answer. Teddy, the poor thing, looked distraught as it was. Alas, Vlad did not know if they shared any common second languages, so he spoke the common tongue—though, as low as he could on the off chance that the girl’s ears were not as sharp as those of a vampire and a familiar.

“Is there any way your witchling has anything to do with the darkness in the auras of the dragons and their Riders?” Vlad asked evenly.

He did not make the same mistakes twice. He had checked every single person’s auras since his mistake with not examining Alex’s. He had seen the dark tendrils in their auras. Before that, he had felt it in their dragons.

Bram glanced at the little girl when she insisted she was not little. She was littler than Vlad, so that classified her as “little”. She was what? Twelve? Bram was notoriously bad at guessing ages. He still thought that Vlad had been a teenager when they first met (he hadn’t been), and nothing would convince him otherwise.

Bram turned to the strange-looking woman, who he supposed was an elf or something. “To the north? We should pursue them—get those kids back. I don’t care who they are or what they are about. They can’t just kidnap people.”
 
Agni turned back to Kaida, his mouth a thin line as he thought on her question.

"I go to defeat their leader for insulting my pride, of course," he said, as though the answer was obvious. "In doing so, the children will be saved regardless, so what does it matter my primary motivation?"

He sounded genuinely curious, and May sighed as he finished up healing Teddy's shoulder, pulling away and tucking his bracelet back underneath his sleeve.

"We're going to rescue the kids," he told Kaida, because even if it wasn't Agni's main goal, it was May's, and May was capable of steering the dragon in the right direction, even if he would deny and complain about it afterwards. Besides, May kind of wanted an excuse to pull away from Teddy and Ellery, to give the girls some space. They seemed to be having a private conversation, and he felt a bit flustered being nearby and overhearing.

He eyed the witch, chewing on his lower lip for a moment before he pulled his bracelet out once more, holding onto the stone as he approached, though left a bit of distance between the two of them, just in case. He was more than on guard after seeing what the other man had done to the dragon rider.

"What about you? Can I help with... whatever it is that's bothering you? Like I said, I'm not a dedicated healer or anything, but I'm good at energy manipulation and stuff, if you think that would help, or something," he mumbled, a bit nervous speaking to the other man. He could feel immediately that their magics were extremely different, and probably completely incompatible, but there was no harm in asking.
 
As Mariah approached Azura, she shifted backward a bit, but upon realizing that she had no intention of harming her, she stopped. Mariah's assessment contained perhaps the largest amount of praise she had received from an outsider in quite some time. At that, Azura closed her eyes gently and exhaled gently from her nostrils. Her head moved almost instinctively toward Mariah's hand when it was outstretched.

"She is beautiful, indeed, but a monster to most others. I find it rather curious as to why Azura is acting so affectionately around you. Perhaps there is more to you than I realize?" Aksil commented with a chuckle, covering his mouth with his hand.

Once Mariah had asked about the "gift", Aksil gave a small grin and pointed to his eyepatch again. "You seem like someone who wouldn't scream easily. In that case, I shall show you." His hands drifted to the back of his head, where two miniature metal clasps held his patch in place. "The eye underneath is not injured. Although... it is for the best that I keep this on when I meet others, especially children. I've learned that lesson the hard way. There is also the horrible reputation that dragon riders have nowadays. If anyone saw this eye without an explanation, they would likely burn me at the stake as they do with demons and vampires." With two small clicks, Aksil removed the eyepatch and let it dangle from his left hand.

What was underneath appeared to be a perfect replica of one of Azura's eyes - red, with a slitted, catlike pupil, only properly sized to fit in a human head. "My eyesight is not affected, despite how... ahem, different it looks. This came on over time as a result of the aforementioned ritual, where our very souls were bound together, woven like threads in a tapestry. The 'gift'... is this." Aksil's right hand shot over to the draconic eye, and upon doing so, the eye emitted a flash of red light. In mere seconds Aksil's form had completely disappeared from sight. "I can become one with the shadows, undetectable by the eyes and noses of my enemies." His voice emanated where his body once stood. "That said, I can still be heard, as you hear me right now." Aksil took a few steps to the side. "Also, if you were to - say - shoot an arrow at me, or at the very least, poke me with a stick, I would feel both." Aksil pointed toward Mariah, even though she couldn't see him doing so. "Don't try it, though." He added rather quickly.

Aksil allowed his form to reappear before he folded his arms. "Have you seen the others anywhere around? I did notice quite the motley crew helping to rescue the stolen children."
 
Ellery hesitated, then reached up to stroke Teddy’s hair, running motherly fingers through it.

“No, darling, none of this is your fault. You ran out to help, and I am so proud of you for doing so. No matter what happened, Alex acted of his own accord. You are not responsible for what he did. The Rider...his fate was sealed the moment he aligned himself with such evil.” Ellery sighed, hand dropping to lift Teddy’s chin slightly. “None of this was your fault. Do you understand?”

Ellery blinked when the vampire spoke up, his voice soft and low. She paused, not answering, though her eyes lifted up to his for a moment. She hesitated, before returning her attention to Teddy. That should be answer enough.

“Thank you,” she nodded to the young mage as he slipped away, grateful to him for taking the time to tend to Teddy. Goodness knew Alex was in no position to be healing anyone at the moment.

Alex was feeling much better. Sure, his head throbbed and the sun was like daggers in his eyes, but that was more the hangover than the demon possession. He looked up, blinking against the horrid ball of fire in the sky, when the kid from the tavern walked up to him. He seemed timid, suspicious. It was probably for the best. Even Alex did not always know what he was going to do next.

Alex eyed the mage with judgmental eyes. He looked the boy over, eyes stopping on the mage’s bracelet. Interesting. He was familiar with stonework and had dabbled in it a bit himself, though it had never really taken. Not his thing.

“Uh, I think I’m good, thanks.” He was not about to have some kid try and ‘heal’ him. He had spent the last fifteen years since he had learned of his illness to try and heal himself. It was the only reason he had been desperate enough to try his hand at stones. Nothing. It was not worth his time. “Unless you can fix this horrid feeling of sobriety I’m feeling right now? Other than that, I’ll pass.”

~

Mariah could not help but smile as the dragon responded positively, pushing into her hand. She rarely had this sort of interaction with humans and other humanoid beings, but found that most animals treated her with kindness. It was refreshing, even in her current form.

When Aksil spoke, she turned to look at him, though her hand remained in place, stroking the dark scales with a love she had only felt once before. She ignored his comment of her being more than she seemed, and instead allowed him to simply imagine what he had meant. He moved past it however and focused on her original question.

Her eyes narrowed slightly in mild suspicion, unsure of what he meant by she not being easily alarmed. But when he pulled the patch back and the red serpent eye was revealed, she blinked, her breath catching in her lungs. Not out of fear, but awe. And then he proceeded to disappear from sight. This time she jumped. It was slight, and her eyes darted back and forth, thinking perhaps she might find him. And then he spoke, and his voice came from the spot he had been standing in.

“Oh, of course I wouldn’t...” she had not considered trying to stab him. That would do more than just blow her cover. He finally reappeared.

“That’s...impressive.” She was being sincere. There were few humans that she knew of who had such an ability. It had to be quite useful. As for the others, however...

“Um, I’m not sure I know what you mean...?” She looked around, and then remembered the man who had needed her help with the children. “Oh, I believe they’re over by the tavern? There was a few men with departs, a woman I think? And some dragon thing? I really don’t know. I suppose you could call them motley, though.”
 
“It matters,” Kaida said quietly. “Because it determines what kind of a person you are.”

She considered Agni for a moment, bright eyes thoughtful.

“But so long as the end result was the same, and the children were not forgotten—then perhaps it does not matter at all. It depends upon your point of view.”

Her eyes flicked away to May when the mage spoke, and she nodded at him, pleased at how quickly and firmly he declared his intentions. He, at least, seemed to value the children above avenging an insult to pride; perhaps he could influence his companion to keep them more in mind, as well.

There were many different kinds of people, in this world, and they all approached life in their own way. She did not begrudge Agni his differing priorities; but she could and did frown upon his carelessness with others' lives.

Then her attention turned to Bram, and she inclined her head to him, as well. It seemed that quite a number of those present were having similar thoughts, if for different reasons. The dragonriders must be pursued, and the children returned to their families.

They would not be waiting five days to ransom the little ones back.

“I am tracking one of the dragons of the group,” she said to Bram. “I believe that they are returning home, but should their path change, I will know.”

~

Ellery's fingers in her hair was soothing, much like being petted as a cat, and without quite meaning to Teddy leaned closer, soaking up the comfort it offered. Her gaze had fallen back to the ground while Ellery hesitated, and it stayed there until the Familiar put a gentle hand at her chin, coaxing her head up. Then, reluctantly, she looked up, meeting Ellery's eyes.

She did not look wholly convinced. In her heart, it still felt as though she were somehow responsible—that if she had just been smarter, stronger, better, then none of this would have happened. She could have prevented it.

But at the same time, she knew that Ellery wouldn't lie to her—not about this. So she took a shaky breath and tried to quiet the guilt in her heart, tried to ignore how inside her, knowledge warred with emotion. And she nodded, and made herself unclench her fists, smoothing out the crumpled fabric of her skirt with hands that trembled, just slightly.

Ellery was proud of her. She tried to focus on that—even though she hadn't been any help, in the end, Ellery was still proud of her for trying.

“I understand,” she whispered.

Now, the trick would be getting herself to believe it.

Vlad's question was low, quiet—and if Teddy had been a human girl, she likely wouldn't have heard it. Unfortunately for the vampire's attempt to spare her the heartache, her ears were far keener than a human's. When there was a lot of noise, this could be quite the hindrance, as illustrated by the near-incapacitating effect of the clamor of battle, earlier—but in quieter circumstances, it meant that she could hear very quiet things, or things from far away.

And so she heard his words, quite clearly. And if Ellery's reaction did not give the answer away, Teddy's likely would; for she went very still, tension returning to the line of her shoulders. Only her eyes moved, flashing worriedly to Ellery.

Normally she was better at keeping secrets than this. But she was shaken, her defenses stripped away and leaving her raw and open; and she could not suppress her reaction, as she ought to.
 
In Bram’s experience, why a person did things absolutely mattered, but beggars couldn’t be choosers if they were going to get these kids back. Besides, that other kid seemed to had his heart in the right place. He could probably influence his... friend? Leader? Dragon?

Bram nodded to Agni. “As long as you’re on board.”

He turned to Kaida. “You can track them? Awesome. We can use that.”

Bram turned his attention to the guy with the cane, who was comforting the innkeeper. “Hey! How about you? Are you up for getting those kids back?”

Vlad did not need a verbal answer, and the look sufficed. He had seen it in her eyes. He immediately felt a sort of kinship with her—having an idiot in one’s care tended to do that. Teddy’s body language confirmed it, and he sighed, wishing she had not heard. It was not to be helped, and he rocked to his feet, leaving the familiar to care for her charge.

As his own charge seemed to be attempting to rally a rescue party, Vlad strode coolly over to where Alex was perched on apple crates. He eyed the witch for a few minutes as Alex told the mage he did not need his aid.

He doubted the witch would listen, but if people ignoring him stopped him, he would never speak.

“And this is what you are doing about the chaos you created? Sitting in your own stench and consuming unholy amounts of alcohol? While you... what? Feel sorry for your lot in life?”

Bram would call him a hypocrite, but Vlad had learned the hard way that wallowing in self-pity never changed things. Sometimes a person needed a swift kick in the pants, sometimes they needed patient kindness. Vlad did not know him well enough to give him the latter, and he was not afraid to give the former.
 
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