Shadows

[Yukaida]

Yukaida listened intently as Belade described, in great detail, the difference between their abilities.  It didn't feel like the taguel was talking down to her, but she certainly doubted her ability to perform in human form.  Sure she couldn't bring all of her power to bare in that form, but surely more then enough to kill a few walking corpses.  Still...she had given her word to defer to the Hunter's judgment.  And her pride was something she did learn from her parents.  Her word was her bond, and she would do as she was requested.

"There is sense to what you say..."  She mused, thinking over the situation.  "But if you do go to investigate those sites, would being alone be truly wise?  My assistance may be better served here, but surely marching into a hostile area alone would not be the wisest course of action?"  She stretched out her wings as she padded along behind Belade, trying to not shake the ground too badly with her steps.  "Still, I gave my word.  I will remain here and protect this town until the sun rises next.  I cannot remain here forever, but if we are going to potentially cause trouble in the area, the least I can do is stand vigil for the night.  I swear that no harm shall come to them...but on the same note."

She snorted a bit, as if trying to get her attention.  She met Belade's gaze when next she spoke.  "I do wish for your safety, so please do not bite off more then you can chew.  Good fortune."  She spoke, stopping where she was, still a good distance from the town.  Belade wished to gather information, and Yukaida would wait here to survey the area.  Her eyes would not avail her, but her natural talent would pick up the slack.  She lay down in a small clearing, closed her large eyes, and her markings began to glow again.  Softer, less of a show then before, because she wasn't looking deep.  She was sensing the magical balance here, which was better when trying to sense for changes.  She would remain here and keep an 'eye' of the fluctuations.  With any luck she should be able to sense trouble long before it arrived.

[Manis]

They'll be fine, Manis told himself for the gagillionth time. He was still making his way down the road but no where near as fast as he'd usually go. In fact he might of even been standing, he could never tell when he was lost in thought. But the the fact that the dragon girl had felt something meant something was there. And from what he had heard only the taguel had any idea what she was doing. They'll be fine. He completely stopped.

It won't take long, Manis decided, turning back toward the town. Besides, those towns people need someone to back them up. That stubborn bird woman is bound to have them bowing in terror. He began gliding back the way he had come, slowly convincing himself. And they're only monsters, it's not the same as killing people. He sighed as his scabbard tapped against his leg. He stopped.

But it is killing, isn't it? But at the same time that's not the point. Monsters won't see revenge or see me as a threat to their chance for glory and fame will they? Manis stood there for several seconds arguing with himself. When he snapped from his mind he realized that he was by the hill from before. Well isn't that convenient...

Not far off the other two were talking. Should I? Will I? Manis asked himself. He moved his bag around so it wouldn't rub a hole in his shoulder. Can I? He sighed and debated some more, muttering to himself.

[Belade]

"No need to fret, I'm in no hurry to die." She looked over at the man not far from him and shrugged. "I travel about alone often, I am a solitary sort. I had planned to do this alone when I have arrived, and the plan has not changed." She looked around a bit at the small village. It had a rather rustic feel, out of the way. There was a single road going through the town, probably a road leading to much bigger civilizations. They probably have little travelers outside of the merchants guild, it wasn't too unusual they were very seclusive. Now that she's calmed down, her great disdain of the humans cooled down into a mild annoyance. They were scared, and that was only natural, humans greatly feared the darkness. That is wise, for the darkness is something to be afraid of. It is not a sin to be afraid, nor is it worth dying over.

"Thank you Yukaida. Your help is greatly appreciated, and I will hold you to your word." This was really not how she planned this whole situation would go, but she adapted just fine. She took a few steps on the dirt road, the dust and stones poking into her feet but she paid it little mind, her feet have long grown thick calluses. She didn't like human shoes, they were the absolute worst, and human sandals always fall off her feet while she flies. She looked about the area, a few people have left their home to openly gawk at the dragon, but it was mostly abandoned. It was distressing, but she didn't want to try and to explain that Yukaida should return to her humanoid form, she seemed very proud of her draconic state and somewhat disdainful of the people here. It was something Belade could live with, it simply made things a little more difficult.

She turned her head to the humankin that was 'escorting' her, they probably would trust him more then her, but she despised the thought of asking him for such a thing. So instead she walked into the town on her own, intent to find some shred of info that would help her in her search. By any means, if necessary.


---


It didn't take very long, so many of the humans were so afraid of her that they spewed on and on like a spilling dam. Most of the things she learned was of no interest, and a distressing amount of it was humans pleading for their lives as if she was going to pluck out their eyes and eat their young, but there was a few things she found of interest. According to one human, there's a burial site to the south. Ancient, and the humans are unaware of whom it belongs to. All they know is that they should not tread upon the land, for it was forbidden. Humans and their superstitions, little surprise, but it gave some more weight to Yuka's words. Another human said that sometimes at night that there a strange light coming from the area, but no one has seen it up close. A third, particularly terrified, woman told her that the other day some merchants came through town and spoke of seeing bones that move on their own to the south. It was all pointing in the same direction, which was good. It would have been a hassle to travel to five different areas only to find nothing at each.

It was maybe an hour after she entered the town before she returned to the patient dragon, who was still the same as she had been when Belade left. To a dragon, a mere hour must have felt like moments of time, but for Belade it was a rather annoying and time consuming experience. "According to the humans, there's an ancient crypt not too far from here. Around the are where you have felt a disturbance as it were, so I think it's a fair guess to say that is my spot. It shouldn't be a long trip by flight, but this crypt may be deep and the creatures may be staying within. It may take hours, or minutes, but if it's dangerous I'll leave immediately. I know my limits." She started to talk, kicking up into the air and hovering near the dragon's face. "When I return, I'll tell of it if you want to hear. I am not sure if such a thing would interest you, but it always interests my son." She said while looking around, trying to see if she could spot that human from before.

[Yukaida]

Dragons were masters of many things, remaining focused was not really one of them. Sure they could accomplish many things in their lives, but their minds tended to wander. An hour was nothing to the dragon, but her mind flew through hundreds of little thoughts in that time, totally engrossed in whatever her mental flight of fancy was at the moment.

Humans were such odd creatures, taguel too. Some were kind, some were cruel, some were excitable, some were grounded. She was beginning to feel like she could travel the world and not see two quite alike. She lay there with her eyes closed, allowing the magical currents to wash over her. As she was 'observing' it like this, it was akin to watching the waves crash against the shore. There was a certain ebb and flow of it that one just sort of got used to if they watched it long enough. She'd settled into this particular areas 'synch'. It was different from home, much different, but it had it's own charms. Relaxing, almost as if she were engulfed in warmth, as the magical essence swam over her as if she were just another part of the natural landscape, slipping into the tapestry of energy.

She allowed an eye to pop open when she heard Belade returning, and leaned her head up to look at the small avian as she revealed her findings. Crypt...she assumed that was the word for those underground dead storehouses. She'd just leave that for now and verify later, Belade seemed like she wanted to handle this sooner rather then later.

Yukaida slowly and silently nodded along with her plan, she would be able to come with her...in a way. Yukaida would likely know that Belade was in trouble before the Avian decided to make her aware. When Belade spoke her last line, however, Yukaida was surprised. Of course, discerning the 'surprised' emotion from a dragon's face might be difficult, but he voice gave it away.

"You have a child? I did not think you old enough, it is so difficult to determine the age of your races. With dragons, being wrong by a hundred years or so is common. But with you that is most of your life..." She mused.

[Manis]

Perhaps-  light jumped back into Manis' lifeless eyes when Belade came back into view. He had his back against the hill, knees bent to keep him from sliding down while he lay there. He removed his arm from behind his head as he sat up. He wasn't sure how much time had passed, he could never tell when he wandered off. Sometimes minutes felt like hours and hours like minutes.

Have they left and- no, Manis thought, realizing the dragon was in the same exact spot. He looked past them to view the town. Nothing seemed amiss. The wind felt as if it had picked up a little since he had last taken notice of his surroundings. They are fine, he thought as he got up. He reached down and slung his bag over his shoulder and brushed the grass off his butt. Next was his sword, and he slung the strap over his head. They don't need me, he thought, but took a step toward them. He had to go before he changed his mind.

"So what's the plan?" Manis asked as he walked up. He was invested now, at least more than he had been. He was still torn in two by his decision and might just leave if he'd let himself. His gaze was still hollow, but you could see something was there, deep within if you looked hard enough.

[Belade]

"Yes, I have a son, his name is Vincent. I have lived for 32 name days, but we Taguel are not so different from dragons in such a way. Once we reach maturity, we age much slower." She could scarcely blame the dragon, Taguel are told to breed early and often, since their lives are fraught with so much danger. They need to build up their numbers whenever possible, because who knows when tragedy will strike and kill half the warren. It's not unusual for a woman to have three or four children by the time they reach Belade's age. This was not true for her, obviously, she was simply musing about how it isn't unusual for young Taguel to have children already. She was planned to be married shortly before... This was hardly the point.

She caught sight of the humankin once more, so he decided to stay. He must have been committed to the cause, as opposed to simply playing into the favor of the people of the town. She was surprised that he cared as much, his disposition was that of a man who cared naught for anything. Belade lowered to the ground, walking towards the humankin. "You are... Manis, correct?" She recalled his name, he was either Manis or Khasir. She heard both introductions in such a short period together they flowed together confusingly, but she could have swore Khasir was the manchild.

"There is a crypt to the south, perhaps you've heard of it. Perhaps not." She didn't know if this man was a local to this town, or simply a traveler. Traveler seemed more likely, noting his blades and weary stare. "If you wish to come..." She began and turned around, facing away from him. "Climb upon my back once I transform, for I wish not to be slowed." She took a few steps from him, looking around at her surroundings for a moment. She then closed her eyes and... There was a light, a bright but quickly shining light. Her entire form was engulfed in a sphere of strange flames, much larger then her body dictated. It lasted for a quick moment before it shattered, feathers falling from the remains as a giant bird was in the spot where she once stood. As large as any wyvern or pegasus you ever saw, and perhaps even larger still. Though she was dwarfed in comparison to the mighty dragon not far away, the burden of carrying another would be simple.

The bird turned its head to look at Manis. "Hold on tight now." It spoke in a somewhat ethereal voice, sounding similar to how she had a moment ago but still different at the same time. The hard edge in her voice was gone, and replaced with an almost sing-song quality that was simply inherent of the form she took. Many avian taguel were well known for their beautiful singing voices, both as humanoids and as their avian form, though she was never much one for song.

[Manis]

Manis nodded when she asked his name. If he recalled correctly her's was Belade. He was glad she didn't say anything besides the point, it was hard enough getting himself to stay without some one else antagonizing him; he was enough antagonizing for himself. He looked at Yukaida for just a second before looking back to Belade as she spoke.

A burial ground? Manis thought. He tried to remember what that meant, it had been a while since he had hunted. And then he tried not to think about it once he thought he knew what it meant. He had enough reasons to leave as it was. They're already dead, he told himself. And then suddenly she was telling him he was going to fly.

Manis just stood there a moment. There was a reason he walked everywhere, he didn't even own a horse. He liked his own two feet and the sure footed-ness they provided. He looked back to the road and sighed. Belade's beauty was lost on him as he prepared himself. She did say if, he thought as he climbed aboard. Flying was on his to do list but he had always hoped he'd have time to plan. Perhaps it was better this way. Manis did his best to find a place that kept him from getting into the way of her wings. He didn't want to crash and so didn't see the point in helping the possibility.

"This better be worth it," Manis muttered before saying, "Alright, let's do this." He prepared to go to his happy place.

[Belade]

Be worth it? Worth what? Did this man simply seek notoriety and wealth? Or perhaps he too hunted these beasts? Whatever the reason, it was no business of hers to go prodding into the lives of another. So without comment, she took off slowly into the air. Powerful red wings beating with a heavy sound as they cut through the sky. She wasn't burdened by the man, she's carried far heavier things for far longer distances, and it wasn't uncommon for her to carry members of her guild on missions. Most Taguel would be desperately ashamed of such a thing, but Belade was pragmatic as ever, if it helped her complete her mission then it is worth the loss of a little of her pride. The feathers of her body where commonly referred to as quite soft as well, many pillows that the humans use being filled with the down of many birds, so doubtless it wasn't a journey physically uncomfortable for the ones upon her back.

She flew through the air, far quicker then the average man could walk, but not as fast as she could go. To be riding upon her at such great speeds, it would take an experienced rider and some harness to prevent them from falling from her. She may make exceptions in terms of pride, but she would not allow others to place riding gear upon her like she was some common animal. So instead she took a leisurely pace, that would cause them to arrive slower, but would remove the need to wait for the man to catch up which could take hours.

It wouldn't be a long flight, maybe about the better half of an hour to arrive. The town was not situated particularly close to the tomb, which lends to the theory that it was an abandoned place for people long ago. "Manis." She said suddenly whilst they were in flight, she could still feel the pressure of his body upon hers so it was clear he still remained. "How talented are you in moving swiftly and quietly?" She honestly should have asked this before they even left, but she had been preoccupied at the time. She knew nothing of his combat capabilities, but he carried his self with the weight of a warrior, he had clearly seen combat before. She could read it on his very skin. "For I am not sure what we may find, and the ability to retreat without drawing attention to ourselves would be very useful."

[Manis]

Manis gazed out at the sights as they soared by. Everything looked different from up here, but it didn't lose it's ability to leave you in awe. Perhaps even more so. It didn't take long for Manis to relax. He had been slightly afraid of the possibility of crashing but it seemed Belade was used to carrying people, at least as far as he could tell.

It wasn't until now that he began actually looking at her feathers. Their color was bright but warm and reminded him of a fire. He shook his head at the thought. Now's not the time to be getting soft. They were just feather's after all. He didn't like thinking about some things too much, lest he get interested. Interest usually lead to people, and you could get attached to people. Belade's voice broke him from his thoughts.

"I can if I need to," Manis said, blinking as he realized his hair was moving about. Though let's hope it doesn't come to that. Her voice was musical, as if she sang while she talked. He tried not dwell on it, but couldn't help wonder if all bird taguel sounded that way. Let's just get this done.

[Belade]

"Good, I assume you can fight as well. You have the bearing of a warrior, if it's simply bonewalkers I have little doubt you can take care of yourself." Bonewalkers weren't exactly the most feared of beasts that prowled the land. They were slow, unsightly creatures that were fragile and easily disposed of by even novice warriors. What made them dangerous was their numbers, for if there is one bonewalker there is sure to be countless others hiding within the earth and awaiting their opportunity to erupt. They were deceptively clever and capable of creating sneak attacks that even Gargoyles would have trouble rivaling, but they were not strong. Belade alone could take care of a small nest with no issue, and if Manis is as capable as Belade assumed, together they could take out a sizable swath. In the small closed encounters of the crypt, however, she would have to rely on her hand to hand fighting skills. No room to take her Avian form, she was different then most Taguel however, and had extensive experience fighting in such a way.

Belade had a good grip on her own capabilities, and knew when to not push herself. She told Yukaida she would watch after herself, and she did not intend to go back on her word. If it was gargoyles, she could take a surprising amount. She was almost raised on fighting such creatures, but she knew to never underestimate them. Mogalls where slow, but held powerful magic. Still they were mostly passive, and would not likely fight them unless they attacked first. Mauthe Doogs were probably the most dangerous of the lower beasts, their speed making them a danger to even her. She could fly outside of their range, but it also made it impossible for her to strike them, and in such closed quarters would likely not be an option. If there was even one Bael, one cyclopes, they would leave immediately. Tarvos did not engage in such activity, and were generally peaceful as long as they were left alone, and if it was a dracozombie... It couldn't be a draco zombie, that village would be nothing but rubble.

The ruins were in sight now, she could tell. There was graves on the outside, but it was very subdued and unassuming. There didn't seem to be anything on the outside, but there could be bonewalkers hiding beneath the surface. In the center of the small cemetery was a large building made of what looked to be jade. It was an odd sight, and she didn't exactly believe her eyes at first. Still it was unmistakably a very deep green, with many faded engraving and symbols littering its sides. The building itself was large, but not so much. It was likely it lead down into the earth, and they were above it now. A much larger network stone and masonry, with corpses lining the walls. It could be giant, or it could be small, but whatever it was it was likely where what Yuka felt. It could take hours to search thoroughly, but she had no problems with doing such a thing. Vaguely she wondered who this crypt could have once belonged to, there was no cities or towns nearby, it seemed to imply that whatever used to be here was no longer. Not a comforting thought.

Belade landed outside the graveyard, the size of which would probably be best described as a small village, landing with care to not make too much of a commotion. "We're here, try to mask your presence to the best of your abilities. It would be best to scout the potential enemy before we decide whether or not to engage them."


------


It had been an hour or so since the taguel and her friend left the village, and people were starting to cautiously leave their homes. There was still that dragon, and it seemed ever determined to stay where she had been before. It didn't ask anything of them, nor did it chose to speak at all. Of course, everyone was too afraid to go up to it and ask it anything first hand. They spoke in hushed tones, confused on why it might still be there, wondering when it might be leaving. This was a small town, and many of them have never seen a Taguel or a Dragon, they rarely even saw merchants or travelers. It was a quite burg, the only man that came and went with any kind of regularity was the father. A wandering priest that had visited the town first a few months ago, healing their weak and sick while asking for nothing in return.

This was the man who recently wandered into the quiet town, confused as to what was happening. He was kindly man, with a soft face and brilliant staff. Dark chestnut brown hair that reached to the middle of his back, and a long robe that reached to his feet. A bright white with golden embroidery, but the most noticeable feature about his was the scar on his face. It was a deep, disfiguring and disgusting scar that appeared as though some creature gouged out a large chunk of his face. It tore across the left side his face, even his eye, which is covered with an eyepatch at all times. It scared most people at first impression, and made people quick to distrust him. A sickening blood red and deeply scarred flesh lying in the gash, a large blight that marred an otherwise handsome face.

The people were skeptical at first, but have since come to not only accept him but enjoy his presence. Still, it was certainly a shock to those who didn't know him. "When did you get the dragon?" He asked, a wry grin on his face as he walked up to a couple of people hushedly speaking.

"Father, you're here." One of them sounded surprised, the other just looked kind of shocked. "This dragon and a Taguel came barging into the village talking about monsters, and we don't know what to do."

"Monsters?" He cocked a brow on the still good side of his face.

"Yeah! Can you go talk to them and tell them to go home?" The man looked at the priest expectantly. They've had two other people go to the Taguel and Dragon, but neither seemed to actually had done anything. That dragon was still parked outside of town, and who knows what that Taguel was getting into. They didn't want much, they just wanted to go back to their peaceful ways, they've never had anything like this happen before. Who knew what that dragon wanted, who knew if that bird would drag back creatures along with her. They never had problems with monsters before, it was them damn merchants that even complained in the first place.

"I'll see what I can do." The priest put his hand on the man's shoulder with a smile, before walking away slowly. His staff clanging on the ground with each step, every man women and child watching as the priest selflessly went to negotiate with the dragon. He reached the large purple creature, holding a hand up to his face and shading his eyes from the bright sun. "Greetings dragon!" He said with a wide smile. "What brings you here? I'm sure you're not tired of people asking you that."

[Yukaida]

Movement of mundane creatures would not serve to interrupt Yukaida's 'trance' as it were.  She could sense the 'waves' in the magic as Belade continued her flight, but around her it was quiet.  And then she felt something else approaching.  Whatever it was, it was in no rush.  It was moving almost at a leisurely pace, as if it's presence was as natural as anything else on this land.  It wasn't large enough to register as a real threat, but it was something like a fly buzzing around her head.  It made it's presence known, but it was not coming directly towards her, or even causing much trouble.  All it was, was a ripple in the natural magic of this place.  Perhaps another being that could harness such power?  She did know that some humans were capable of such, though she did not know the specifics.

While she mused on this, she felt this being moving in her direction.  Whatever it was, it was looking for her.  Not like she was hiding, she wouldn't be hard for it to miss.  She allowed her eyes to open as she let out a bit of a yawn.  The difference between 'meditation' and 'napping' was a lot less then she was willing to admit.  She adjusted her eyes to the sunlight that she had been ignoring, now aware that whatever this was, it was very close.  She turned her head and saw a human coming upon her, and she took a moment to take in his presence.

Human standards of beauty were difficult to understand for her.  But one thing she knew was that this man had seen battle.  He was grievously injured, though it did look like a very old wound indeed.  Concern bubbled forth at once, but she knew that such an injury was long past the part where it could be healed.  Still, he seemed to be totally oblivious to the state of his flesh, as he addressed her rather pleasantly.  She kept her voice low, to avoid appearing too aggressive to her.

"I came here today quite by accident, I assure you.  I would not normally be remaining here, but I have made a promise to guard this place until the Hunter returns from her....hmmm....scouting was it?  Yes, that was the word."  She mused to herself.  "You would be the third, or fourth if you count the Taguel, that the humans have sent to go find out if I intend to destroy their village and devour their young.  It is growing quite tiresome, to be honest."  She spoke.  She noticed that he shielded his eyes from the sun, so she stood up to her full height, her body and wings easily eclipsing the sun and providing the man with shade.  No sense in not being polite where politeness was given.

[Manis]

Bonewalkers, Manis thought. He had thought as much, but a part of him had hoped it wasn't them. They may of been dead, but they looked relatively human. It wouldn't be hard for them to remind him of fighting people. But then again, they were already dead, weren't they? Perhaps it wouldn't make a difference.

Manis continued to pretend not to enjoy the view as they flew on. Streams glinted in the sunlight as they winded themselves through the forests. But soon the forest gave way to grass and then they had arrived. It looked like an ordinary cemetery to him, though how it could be ordinary while being located in the middle of nowhere was lost on him. Especially when he saw the jade tomb. It didn't take a magic dragon to tell him something strange was going on here, even if there was nothing in sight.

"Right," Manis said quietly as he slipped off Belade and onto the grass. He caught his sword by the sheath to keep it from rattling against his side, causing the strap to become taunt. He  brought his other hand over to loosen his sword in case he needed it. And then he stood silently as he waited for her to transform or do something. 

[Belade]

As Manis slid off the Taguel, there was a similar sight to before. It looked like a ball of flame the engulfed her form, then shrank into a much smaller sphere and burst in a shower of what appeared to be bird feathers. One of the strangest things about Taguel was their transformation rituals, some involved masks and shades the hid the actual process of transformation while others allowed everyone to watch as their body became deformed and strange. The T'rani warren of which she... used to be a part of, they shrouded themselves as they changed forms. Though, honestly, she didn't strictly have to, it was just something so engraved in her actions that she never even thinks of it anymore. Regardless there she was, in her humanoid form once more, hovering lightly in the air above the earth before softly touching down. The cool grass felt nice on her feet, and she let out a small contented sigh.

"It's strange though..." She muttered, looking about the cemetery and crypt. "Bonewalkers don't usually occupy cemeteries, oddly enough as it may seem. Despite their appearances, they are not humankin risen again. They are simply monsters, like all the others." She spoke her thoughts aloud, taking a few steps into the cemetery. Whatever names used to be etched on these tombstones were long gone now, all that remained was a weathered rock. This cemetery was... ancient was not quite the word she would use, but forgotten and decrepit. Whatever town used to belong to this crypt was long gone now, or perhaps it was once the town they came from, they may have more history then she was aware of...

She wandered in deeper, but there was absolutely no stirring or movement from anyone but her and Manis. Her steps were swift and silent, and held no sound as far as the average ear could discern. Not that it quite mattered in such open spaces, anyone she could see could easily see her as well, though it mattered even less because outside of the two they seemed completely alone in this forgotten burial ground. It wasn't long until she made her way to the jaded tomb, running into absolutely no obstacles on her way. On her path she had tried to make out if any of the tombs had a name or a date, but they were all gone. Even those that weren't worn by time to the point it was unreadable, they were crossed out by what looked like some kind of blade. It was odd, but not overly concerning.

She beckoned for Manis to follow her, though she kept a close eye on him all the time. Not in suspicion or mistrust, but perhaps some form of curiosity. "It seems abandoned. I'm not sure if I wish for that to continue or not when we enter..." She spoke her thoughts aloud once more. If it was abandoned, that was grand and the town was most likely safe. If it was full however... she'd have monsters to fight and she could put this weird feeling in the pit of her stomach away. She felt like something bad was going to happen, and she had long since learned to follow her gut. "Let's be careful, this area seems odd in more ways then one."

-------

The priest chuckled to his self, shaking his head. He could see the surprise on the dragon's face, this was far from his first dealing with them, but that was another tale for another day. It was a bit funny that his face scared even dragons at first, they weren't so different from humans after all. He looked at the large dragon, she was a vibrant violet hue, it made him think for a moment but he simply shook his head with a sly grin. All the way out here eh? He could understand where people would be surprised. The dragon moved in such a way to block the vibrant sunlight from blinding him in his good idea, a kind gesture. "Ah, thank you dragon. You mustn't mind the villagers. They've never seen a dragon. There was once a mighty dragon in this area hundreds of years ago that demanded tribute and sacrifices of the people, and the stories have passed from parent to descendant. They are quite wary of dragons as such, you see." He tapped the side of his head with a kind smile. "So they feared you were the dragon of legend, but that isn't true. Since you are clearly a dragon of magic, are you not? This dragon unleashed powerful waves of water, drowning the crops and people who didn't listen to his rampages." He then finished with another laugh. "Not to mention this dragon died years ago."

He heard her words and weighed them heavily, thinking of what she had said. "You say... a Taguel hunter was in the area? Strange, I see no one of the sort." He held his hand at his brow, squinting and looking about. "Where did they get off to? I've heard nothing about monsters in the area."

[Yukaida]

Yukaida shifted slightly as the man mentioned tales of the last dragon to live here. The story sounded horrific, but she knew all too well just how true that story could likely have been. "Whatever faults the dragon of the past may have had, he did serve a great purpose here. It is in our nature to push back these creatures, and without him or his kin, this settlement will find itself prey to a host far more ravenous the a dragon's wrath." She spoke, looking south. "The Taguel went to the south. There was a...hmmm...crypt to the south, a large nexus of magical energy. She and one human traveler went to investigate it. I remain here to ensure nothing woken by them slips past."

Her gaze turned down to the man, and she seemed to be judging him..weighing him. "It is very easy to those of such short life spans to only see what is in their eyes, but such is unwise. It is likely that these creatures as rising because of the lack of the dragon's presence. While much of dragon kind chooses to show no pause to your kind, it is foolish to assume that they offer no protection for the price they seek. We are not thieves, we give what we view as equal value. If that trade is fair or not, well that rarely comes to pass now does it? A human would think it quite silly to argue price with a watch dog guarding the flocks. Most dragons would think the same about humans on their land."

Yukaida was not so naive to think that what she said would be taken well. In truth, she was interested as to what this human would say to her little speech on the nature of beasts, humans and dragons.

[Manis]

Manis glided behind Belade, a finger wrapped around the guard of his lose sword to keep it from making noise. He nodded as she talked of bonewalkers. He would have to remember that. As he moved he studied the grave yard, it seemed... abandoned, like something someone wanted to forget. Some stones were worn, other's had names crossed out. Something had happened here, but he didn't know what. Something that had long been forgotten.

Continuing on with Belade, Manis kept looking around in case of an attack, though it seemed that not even animals had touched this ground recently. If ever. After slowly making their way across open ground, they found themselves in front of the jade structure. It bothered him that something many would see as precious was just laying around in the middle of nowhere. One would think something like that wouldn't be forgotten easily; unless it wanted to be forgotten. Perhaps it belonged to someone or something those who had lived here wanted to forget. In which case they should tread lightly. And then Belade broke the silence.

Manis nodded as she talked. "Yes, it feels... strange. Like it was forgotten though it didn't want to be. Or perhaps shouldn't of been." He didn't even think twice about what he said. It was like back when he was with the guild, nothing mattered here but getting the back of the ones who had yours. Anything, no matter how small, was important. It wasn't like how he had been doing things, mistakes when you're alone arr yours; it's only you who falls because of it. "If we do be on guard. I haven't dealt with monster's in a while, but if I remember right they are fond of surprising people."