The Tiny One

The Dragonwalker cocked an eye at Niall.

"I wasn't trying to teach you honor, you've that enough. I was trying to show you what you'd be up against. Not all will show honor in a fight, sparring or not."

Looking to his sister, he smiled and winked at her.

"Oh, if you insist."

He dropped into an unusual stance, his body turned partly away from her and his sword held parallel to the ground, his other hand unseen.

Cocking his head at the blades the girl was using curious why they had his homelands symbols on them. Then realizing he had been spoken too. "News? What news Keylik?"

The girl grinned at her brother, feinted once toward his blade arm, then ducked around his other side and tapped him between the shoulderblades with the flat of the Moon blade. "You're dead," she giggled, resisting the urge to blow a raspberry at him.

Though unrefined and crude Niall found the tiny one intresting and slighly attractive

Drake smiled warmly at the little one.

"This is true...you've been getting more skilled with each passing day. But you forgot something."

The flat of his sword tapped the inside of her right leg lightly, as his arm and his blade had tucked under his shield arm to protrude downwards past his side.

"A man can sacrifice himself to deal a wound that will, in time, get you killed. If you're going to stay alive, you need to do your best not to get even a scratch. Poison is just as useful on the field as it is in dark alleys."

Stepping away, he suddenly whirled and attacked, his blade slamming again and again into her blades, until he finally flung both of the blades into the dust. He leveled the point at her throat, grinned, and blew a raspberry at her.

"And never forget to have some fun."

"I'd love to travel and train with you keylik"

Atlantia watched both swords leave her hands, and simply sat down on the ground and crossed her arms, pouting up at him.

Drake stooped, picking up Atlantia's blades, and then scooped her up and carried her over by the fire. It had started to die down some, but was soon blazing bright again after the Dragonwalker had gathered some fuel. Unfortunately, he'd forgotten to roll the sleeves of his tunic back down, and that close to the flames the chaos runes danced across his skin as if alive. He stood slowly, watching the rest of the assembled, and rolled his sleeves down before seating himself to stare into the flames.

The girl growled and "rawr"ed at him when he picked her up, but didn't wiggle or kick lest he put her down prematurely and less gently. She put her swords away and sat down at the fire. But, having already eaten, didn't find much entertainment in just sitting, so she got up and crawled up Drake's back and sat comfortably on his shoulders.

He smiled a little as the little one crawled up his shoulders. Normally when she did that, he wasn't in his human form. He had gotten bored just staring into the flames, and now slowly trailed his fingers back and forth before him, and as he did so, a magnificent tapestry began to be woven in the fire, which was now alive with visions of dragons and warriors.

Atlantia giggled at the fire play, clapping her hands in delight and bouncing gleefully. Until the bouncing sent her tumbling ungracefully backward to land with a small bump! in the dirt behind Drake.

From the darkness Berethis swooped in with a kick to the dragonwalker just strong enough to knock the wind out of him, he then glared at the girl. He wore a wide brim hat with its rope strap on his chin, his vest ripped open showing his chest in which a hoof painted in his own blood was adorned, on his arm was a large gash still healing. His goat legs were wild and un groomed, his eyes looked as if he had not slept in days, on his hooves, shield and cudgel was the dried blood of those unlucky to come across him. His eyes flared in rage as he stared at the suprised girl and dragon walker. Berethis gave a nasty grin which showed teeth stained red, and in a raspy voice he cracked "did ya miss me.."

Niall had creeped behind berethis then quickly slidding his blade against berethis' throat. "Of course we did goat boy been traveling far". Pulling his blade away and laughing

Berethis joined in the laughter, pulling out his jug of ale and taking a swig. "Damn humans, can't remeber the last time I wasn't running or fighting." Berethis sighed and sat down. "I am not sure what yall are up to but do you mind if I rest here a bit, and maybe spare something that isn't rum for me to drink." Berethis tossed his jug aside

"Sure my friend its been so long since our endeavors in alterra." Niall hands him a jug of water. "Drink my friend and be merry"

Drake grunted a little from the force of the kick, then went back to his fire play. It'd been some time since he'd seen the faun, and many things had changed. If he kept that look up though, the old blood rage would be sure to come back....then his head would be on a stick. Not the faun's mentor.

Berethis grunted as he managed to gulp down the water, his body was broken and beaten, he could sence his hostility towards the dragon man, Berethis set to work stiching some recent wounds from various attackers

Sensing the twos hostility he quickly started a conversation "so berethis. Been up to no good?" He asked jokingly

Berethis looked up from his wounds "Niall, you under estimate me." Berethis grinned, "Trouble not me, but I can't say the same for villages between here and Alterra." Berethis winced as he began into another wound. "I've been training for the perfect moment to strike at the humans, I first hope to bring the grandmasters of altera down, followed by the warriors of midgar." Berethis stared at the dragon man. "I want to taste the blood of the bloodfang raiders, I want to have to clean the blood of Stormwrath's demi-god leader. But most importantly I wanna clean the world of humans." Berethis took a swig of water and waited for the humans to respond

"Well berethis. As much as we all know you hate humans. You shall always have a home here in soluna. We accept all people". He said smiling at the faun.

Berethis grinned and got up, "I did not come here for a home!" Berethis smashed the tree next to him with his cudgel, shattering the bark. "You may be my friend fornow, thats why I came here to give you a fair warning, I will kill you, her, and one of these days I will taste the blood of a half dragon, I have signed in blood." Berethis glanced at his arm and the gash. "My people suffered by the hand of yours for hundreds of years and we fauns began in an eye for an eye, and I got alot of time to make up, Niall I want to tell you somthing, when you have revenge in your heart and you are in the rage you do things that would make a sane man die from guilt of what they had done." Berethis hung his head and turned to leave

"Berethis!!" He called at the faun as he walked away "in my eyes you'll always be a brother. May the sun light your way and the moon guide you through the darkness"

"Then we shall play cain and abel"