Spirits of the Earth

"I ORDER YOU TO STOP!", Angel screamed as she began to chase after four Raiders through the mountain side.

These Raiders just severely injured a traveling merchant and stole all they could carry from the poor man. Angel just happened to be in the area and as a Knight, it was her duty to stop them and bring them in for punishment. The Raiders knew better then to tussle with a Knight and now Angel had to give chase which she hated more then anything.

"Get back here!! I swear it will only get worse if you continue to run!", Angel said as she began to gain on the four Raiders before they took a quick right turn.

"I got you...now...", Angel said as she turned the corner and saw even more Raiders...six to be exact come out of virtually no where, two of them blocking off her exit.

"I see...An ambush? Fine.", Angel said with a huff as she snapped her fingers starting a white flame fire amongst her hand before a loud roar came from above.

"Two can play that game.", She said as she flickered the flames between her fingers before her Dragon, Aria, came down from above and landed on top of the two Raiders behind her.

This made the battle more...even to say the least but with six remaining fully armed Raiders against the two of them, This battle could still cause some injuries to Angel and Aria if she was not careful. She didn't like these odds very much but as a Knight, Angel needed to do what she has sworn to do.

"Why do they steal? It is not their property, and yet humans insist upon taking what is not theirs. I do not understand it. Why are you people so confusing? It was the thought of a very large flying lizard, more commonly known as a Dragon. It had very deep purple coloured scales, with a completely black stomach. The large creature flew lazily above the action below. There were some people having a disagreement of some sort, no doubt about who owned what. A female in armour seemed to believe what the men had just taken from the merchant didn't belong to them. Rightly so, it probably didn't.

"Don't group me in with them Morrigon, I'm not human, you know this." The chiding male voice shot back. On the back of the female dragon was a strange figure, holding onto some reigns that were fasted securely to the dragon. There was no saddle of course, not that he needed it. The man wore muted oranges and deep crimsons, simple pants, thick leather boots, and a long sleeved shirt with a strange collar that covered the lower half of his face. This allowed only the top half of his face to show, with his incredibly creepy eyes, that were yellow, with red irises and gold pupils. At least his hair, the dull black mess was mostly normal. Helped to make his red transluscent skin almost...normal. Almost. It didn't help that occasionally on his face one could see strange veins that glowed brightly and then disappeared. It happened to a rhythm, as if a beating of his heart controlled it...and who knows, maybe it did?

"Sometimes I forget, you two legged creatures often look the same to me." The dragon sniffed as it watched below. "Thanks, I always remember which dragon you are and don't start riding some feral thing." The male shot back sarcastically. "Only teasing. Let's go take a closer look...I think I see another dragon." The large creature retracted its wings and let the descent began, diving downward toward the ground to get a better look. Once they were a lot closer to the ground, she unfurled her wings and they were back to circling above the carnage. Though, they were quite a bit closer now, watching as the six raiders faced off against the dragon and her dragon rider. While it was rather intriguing to see another dragon rider, he wasn't particularly impressed by the woman. Then again, he wasn't impressed by much now a days.

"You think we should help Paenloch?" The dragon asked her rider as she looked over her shoulder, a large black eye staring straight at the man who shrugged with a bored expression on what part of his face could be seen. "Might be interesting. Roll over, I want my halberd." The great dragon continued to beat its large wings as the man stood up and began to run on the dragon like it was a log on the water. Soon he was on the creature's belly while it flew and kept itself in the air. In of the creature's claws was a halberd, which he grabbed and began to run again across the stomach. Soon everything was righted, he held onto the reigns of the dragon with one hand, halberd in the other. He squeezed what side of her ribs that his legs could reach and the great dragon dived to the ground. The great beast let out a mighty roar to confuse and scare the raiders as it landed upon the ground. It wasn't fair of course to be on the back of the dragon, so he slid off the side of the dragon to land near the knight.

"Need any help?" Paenloch asked, his voice cutting through Angel's head. It was apparent that the seven foot five man was pretty adept in the use of telepathy. His psychic powers were impressive, but there was no need to really show them off now.

Time enough for that later.

Angel held still when the man spoke telepathically to her. From the corner of her eye, Angel could see that he looked quite unworldly and different but battle was not a time to react to such things and with a shake of her head, Angel declined the man's help, however formidable he and his dragon partner seemed. There were laws about vigilantes and without the necessary proof of knighthood or guard status or the like, She couldn't endanger a civilian no matter the circumstances.

"Unless you can provide some sort of papers sir, I cannot allow you to intervene no matter the situation. I will need both your partner and you to stay out of this. We have this covered...", Angel said before flickering the flames between her fingers once more before the Raiders charged at both her and Aria.

Aria was a fearsome creature, quite large for a female dragon of her breed, and with a mighty roar and a bat of her wings, she proved her power and size but Aria wasn't the only female the Raiders needed to worry about. Even though Aria was the more dangerous LOOKING one, Angel was the one that they needed to fear.

Angel held up to her knight status and charged the men head on whilst her hands burned for the chance in battle. The violet haired beauty's eyes flared up before she spun, creating a a flame tornado, right towards the men. They could only halt their charge and look on as white flames barreled through the mountainside right at them and without the proper training or magic to aid them, They were sitting ducks. Angel broke away from the tornado as it engulfed the group of Raiders, burning them severely and tearing apart their armor quickly and viciously. And just like that, The threat was taken care of as the flames dispersed and the men fell to ground unconscious but still breathing.

"They'll be alright, I didn't use a lot of force with that one.", Angel said to Aria who actually seemed a bit concerned.

Aria stomped over to the injured men and with Angel's help, she thrusted the men onto her back. Angel quickly secured them and gave Aria the signal to go and at the same instance, Aria took off for the capital city were the men would be taken care of and tried for theft, attempted man-slaughter, and avoidance of capture. She smiled at a job well done before finally facing her "heroes" that came to her aid.

"I'm sorry for that sir. I do not wish for you take my words as an insult but I couldn't allow you to engage them no matter how formidable you and your partner seem to be. I do hope you accept my apology.", Angel said with a polite smile and the mannerisms of a true noble lady.

She was declining his help? She must have been rather powerful, which no doubt she could be of course. Even still, who declined help, especially by a person like him? She shook her head, and she didn't want the help? Well, that was...interesting now wasn't it. It would actually be funny if they managed to overwhelm her, but the woman had a rather...knightly air about her. Not to mention he could skim over her mind. If she was trained in psychic attacks, she might be able deflect or stop him to some degree. But he was gentle for this particular skimming. It would be a light brushing, just a gentle one, he wanted to situate himself near her mind to pick up on those thoughts at the surface.

Then he'd be able to get in a bit deeper...just a little by little.

"Papers? What an interesting idea. I could but...as it was said...you have this covered." Well, if she wanted to show off her prowess, then he'd go ahead and let her show off that prowess. He was always interested in seeing battle techniques that weren't his own, and this would be particular interesting. He'd never had any use for magic, not when he had strong psychic powers that people found hard to defend against. When you could blind a person with a thought, make them hear and see things with a glance...well, magic just seemed so trivial. Sure, he couldn't make fire or lightning at will...but he could directly affect a person's pain control centre...lock it into place for an unimaginable pain.

"Do you think that she carries around papers to show others?" Morrigon asked her rider who chuckled in response, shaking his head. He buried the tip of the halberd into the ground and watched the ensuing fight. The fire storm that she was able to create was rather impressive actually. Was that really necessary anyway? It seemed excessive. Was she trying to show off to him? An interesting thought now wasn't that...however, it was probably not true. She seemed very...knightly. He heard that they could get very...strange, very noble.

He had to admit...the fear that the men felt were so satisfying. He closed his eyes for a moment and just absorbed the emotional feast before him. Oh how good it was...fear tasted good...it always tasted good. Jealousy was spicy too...but fear...ah how fear was good. Because people tried to fight fear, tried to stand against it...but...they often failed when staring down a fire storm before them.

Now that was interesting...she sent her dragon off to take those men to jail. Well, that was something that he wouldn't dare do. That would be absolutely...unthinkable. Morrigon and Paenloch were a pair, and they barely separated for such a long time. Not to mention, they were going to Ketra...and that was just...really. That was too far for Morrigon and himself to even consider.

"No apology needed. You were able to handle it, and didn't want me underfoot." Paenloch said with a wave of his hand before blinking. "Oh, my apologies...you use your mouth to talk. It has been a while since I have needed to." He scratched the back of his head and took a deep breath. "I believe this will be...less intrusive for you." Paenloch bowed slightly, which, for someone of his stature was rather nice no doubt. "But Paenloch, you love being intrusive, especially to those female kinds." Morrigon commented to her rider, who chuckled mentally.

He was so glad she couldn't hear their little conversation.

Oh...But she could. She may not have telepathic powers but when it comes to dragons, her own or others, she could feel their thoughts and words and nothing needed to be uttered. Angel didn't mind very much though. What others talked about, especially partners such as them, was none of her business but decided to show them she could hear their conversation...at least half of it.

"No, I don't carry papers with me to show others, only this emblem here...", Angel said to the large female dragon before holding up her arm to show the Knight's Emblem on her gauntlet which glows a white and red light for a second to show authentication.

"...and if your partner wishes to know more about me, Great Dragon, he only needs to ask. I have nothing to hide so there is no need to intrude upon my mind.", She said with a smile towards the large and beautiful creature standing before her.

Now the man was much different. He was no Dragon...so whatever he decided to say BACK to his dragon friend was a complete mystery to Angel. She didn't mind that though, He seemed kind enough even if looks can be deceiving. His telepathy was indeed impressive and she was certain he could do many more things easily to those untrained and even to Angel herself. Using magic and memorizing spells and incantations as well training ones body and mind to support the element made her slightly more durable to mental attacks as well as magic attacks but she most definitely wouldn't want to find herself this man's enemy nonetheless. She was no God...far from it and avoided battle when she could for this reason. She fought for her kingdom and her people...nothing more and nothing less.

"My name is Angel Anasari, A Dragon Knight for the Kingdom of Adela. I thank you for offering your aid so swiftly sir. If there were more people like you, perhaps Raiders and Bandits like those wouldn't be so swift to take advantage of the weak.", Angel said with a small huff at the Raiders Aria carried away.

This man was certainly would be intimidating if Angel took appearances as such. Tall, other worldly, mysterious, a Dragon Rider, a Telepath and many more things made someone like him have an air about him that most would even find fearing. Angel feared no man though, no matter the strength mentally and physically. She only saw opportunities to grow stronger and learn from such people.

"Oh, would you look at that, she can hear your thoughts. We must be getting sloppy. Shield your thoughts her Morrigon." It was rude after all, no matter what, to listen in on a conversation that wasn't directed at her. Sure it was about her, but...it wasn't at her. No no, that wouldn't do at all. The great dragon nodded slightly and focused on her mind, putting that protective barrier around it to stop this woman from hearing her thoughts. No matter what amount of psychic powers she had, the dragon had years upon years of experience on her.

"You only need ask her Paenloch, so if you wish to know more, shouldn't you?" The dragon teased her rider, who shot her a flat look in return. "You know, she's talking with her voice, her mouth, I can understand perfectly. No need to repeat everything." It was Morrigon's way though, she was acting a little...standoffish perhaps. She didn't like people reading her mind, honestly, she had hated having Paenloch in her mind for a hundred years, but she got better with time. Now here they were again with someone in her mind.

"It looked like it was going to be a fun fight Angel, too bad you made me stay back." She had an interesting tactic when it came to fighting though...using such magic. However, magic usually required you to be able to see your opponent, or you'd have to know which opponent was the right one...he could definitely take her. Though, he'd have to convince her that fire didn't affect him and lightning was his enemy. Buuut...that was for when she was fighting a group of people, maybe she would use a weapon when fighting one on one.

Not that he was planning on attacking her. No, he never attacked outright...he always had...other plans really. "Oh, you need a name for me. It has been so long since I've bothered to converse with anyone other than my dragon. I am Paenloch. I hold no allegiances except to my dragon, Morrigon, and to myself." He wasn't afraid to tell this Knight of Adela where his loyalties lie, hopefully she would understand that he not one to defend the country. After all, this wasn't his world...though he had found a nice creature in it. He'd die defending Morrigon, but not defending one of the nations.

"I still can't believe that you let your dragon fly off without you. I couldn't really imagine being so far away from Morrigon." He looked to his dragon, who almost let out a pleased little purr. "I still think she put some sort of mental addiction in my mind." The dragon let out a growl at that comment and he waved his hand dismissively. "Only joking Morrigon. Only joking." He focused his eyes on Angel, and smiled a deceptively evil smile. It was only good that she could not see the lower half of his face, thanks to his attire. She might actually be fun. He often found it fun to torment the lesser mortals of the world, more so if he managed to awaken any latent psychic abilities. The only problem was he never tried it with a person that could use magic before.

This would be some sort of adventure now wouldn't it.

"So are you to wait for your dragon here Angel? I'd say you'd be bored if I didn't happen to come along and provide some conversation for you."

"Aria has been around much longer then I and she can easily handle herself. Being apart from her physically doesn't separate our bond though and it never will.", Angel said smiling while thinking about Aria.

Angel held great respect for Dragons but Aria in particular. She was a proud dragon and a powerful one at that. Fast, Stronger, a White Fire Breather, and held a special place in Angel's heart that could never be replaced. The battles they have faced together was now countless and their partnership was rivaled but few, especially in Adela. She could trust Aria...and sadly no one else...

"Besides, I still have more Raiders to hunt down here in the Thunderblacks. I am on round up duty for the time being as the Raiders' numbers have only increased in the past few months. I'm here to shrink those numbers.", She said with a proud smile as she spoke.

Angel listened intently as Paenloch spoke about his allegiance only to Morrigan and his disappointment in the battle he missed. Angel could tell he was one of those warriors who fed upon the trophies and emotions of battle. A person who ENJOYED battle and what came with it. Angel was not such a woman mostly but she didn't judge others based on their personal pleasures. She only saw Paenloch as what he was...a warrior and dragon rider; Nothing more, nothing less. She was however a bit interested in his fighting style with such a large weapon but then realized riding such a dragon would require a pole arm or long range weaponry to attack from Dragonback, much like herself.

"Paenloch...Well its a pleasure to meet you.", Angel said with a smile before turning to Morrigan.

"You are a beautiful dragon. Such a fine coat and those fangs...Dragons never cease to amaze me. It was the reason I first became a Knight actually...My father was a Knight and fought the Dragon Hunters of the plains and my hatred for them stems from what they would do to such wonderful creatures. By the time I became a knight however, the lot of them were already gone and the laws were passed.", She said before looking back over at Paenloch.

"She's a fine partner. You should count your blessings.", She said with a playful tone to her voice.

Angel wasn't sure if she could trust this man yet but trust was something you gained, especially in the knighthood. He was an ally nonetheless though as he was willing to aid a stranger in battle so quickly on the side of "good". She, of course, wouldn't drop her guard so easily but was willing to let someone new in.

"So, what brings you and your partner so close to the capital if you don't mind me asking?", Angel asked before removing her gauntlets and cape to allow her hands to feel the breeze as well as to cool down.

"Aren't you the lucky one?" Paenloch commented after she mentioned that she was able to leave her dragon. Paenloch could as well, but he had gotten so used to her mind, and while it was difficult to hear them over great distances, he still could. He just...didn't much like to do so. Why be away from his only friend when he didn't have to? It didn't make sense, and he didn't much care to either.

Morrigon was his dragon after all, they had chosen each other...and lucky at that too. He had almost been a meal for her, and managed, just barely to convince her otherwise. She thought him a wild man, having landed on this world naked and starving...Ah, he remembered the day like it was yesterday. It had been a thousand years ago, but his memory was usually quite excellent too.

"Really? I come across them once in a while...I find them good targets...they usually flee from a dragon swooping down on them...such delicious fear." He chuckled and shook his head. It was quite fun to scare the raiders, but it never scared them enough to stop being raiders. That was okay, because it meant he would continue to have people to scare and feed on after all.

"She thinks I'm beautiful." Morrigon sniffed as she looked haughty, raising one large claw to look at it and clean it with the other, standing on her hind legs like a human. "She has a fetish for scales." Paenloch murmured in return to his dragon, who glared at him. "Only kidding Morrigon." He shot back quickly, looking innocently. "Well, I thank you and your father for your valiant efforts in protecting us...but we had it covered." Morrigon told the young knight, opening her mind up so she could hear her thanks. Indeed, Morrigon was grateful for what they had done, but it was nothing that they couldn't handle after all. They were dragons after all.

"Close to the capital? I don't know if you know this but you've wandered into the Thunderblacks. It's a couple days by foot, and at least half a day by dragon flight." Paneloch told the young woman as he glanced toward the direction of the capital. The question now is...what to do with her? "You will continue to hunt the raiders without your dragon until tomorrow, when she finally returns?" Paenloch had seen how fast Aria could fly...almost as fast as Morrigon, and that meant that she would be gone for quite a while. A whole day away from her dragon? Tsk. That would be something now wouldn't it?

"But, to answer your question, this is where Morrigon and I live. In the Thunderblacks. We were just out to see if there was any fun that could be had." And they had found some! How lucky! They had found quite a bit really. He had gotten himself a meal, and found himself a dragon knight who let her dragon fly off. Lucky times for all.

Angel smiled when she heard Morrigan's thanks but she was right. The Dragons could easily have handled the situation themselves but no species should be hunted like that and it was the Knight's duty to protect the inhabitants of the kingdom, Dragons included.

"I meant close by Dragonflight but I suppose you are right. Aria isn't taking the Raiders to the capital though, only a fort near here.", Angel said before sitting down for a moment to retrieve a map from her armor compartment.

"But yes, I will hunt more of them until she returns. What I wanted to accomplish this trip to the Thunderblacks is crushing one of their strongholds completely. This will halt their activities around these parts and severely hinder their numbers. I could take the stronghold with Aria's help but I'd need to locate it first...", Angel said with a puzzled expression as she looked at the winding mountain map.

Angel looked up at Paenloch and Morrigan and got a pretty obvious request. If she just asked these residents of the Blacks were an encampment was, She was sure to succeed in crushing their numbers. Paenloch was also looking for a fight it seems and enjoys the pain of others so she could see no reason for him to refuse. Being a Knight, Angel had certain powers of the law as well on her side as long as she remained in Adela.

"Paenloch and Morrigan, would you two mind aiding me? It will surely be a fun battle and everyone would win. I really do need the help in locating the base so...Would you both be willing?", Angel asked as politely as possible.

With their help, Angel wouldn't have to wait for Aria to return to locate and crush the Raiders and it would save time which was always valuable. She just hoped she wasn't being so forward with her request...they had no obligations to the knighthood and Paenloch made that clear.

"Ahhh, that would make a lot more sense." There was almost a note of disappointment in Paenloch's voice as she said that she was only going to a fort not far from here. That wasn't particularly fun now was it? It meant that if he wanted to have any fun...well, it wouldn't do them any good now would it? He watched the young woman as she retrieved a map from her armour compartment, an eyebrow raised. Maps. It was so easy to make a map when you had a bird's eye's view. He hated reading them really, considering how...annoying they could be. People never seemed to get it right, but he put that annoyance away.

"Yes, you would need to find now wouldn't you?" In the Thunderblacks you were smart, you didn't go ahead and let yourself be out in the open. When it came to Paenloch, he had to know where a food source was, and he had to know quickly...in the Thunderblacks, you either fed off dragons, or the people hiding in the hills. The people were a much better choice too, all things considered...Morrigon never let him feed of dragons...for obvious reasons.

"She wants you to help? She must be desperate. I hope you don't plan on going in for nothing." Morrigon cautioned her rider, who just shrugged as he looked over the map. "Well, I'm willing to help...and...I know where one of their strongholds are...there are some...complications if you will with the whole thing." While a good battle can be incredibly fun...it didn't outweigh the fact that he would be giving up a source of food! While during the fight he'd get a nice little meal...but it would be gone after that, the site would hold no more for him.

"I am a unique creature...I feed off emotions, instead of chewing on material objects. If I show you where they are, and help you scare them off...I will no longer have a spot to go and feed off of...so you see, it raises a certain...problem for me." He stood over her, tapping a finger against the side of his cheek. What would she be able to offer him he wondered? "I'm quite fond of you females though...such delicate soft things...I might be willing to trade the location, and my expertise in battles for...perhaps a little fun."

"Do you think that she will agree?" Morrigon asked curiously. "We'll see how far her dedication to her cause goes." Paenloch replied enigmatically to his dragon.

"Fun?...What kind of "fun"?", Angel asked with a a stoic expression on her face.

Angel simply hoped he did not mean...THAT. Not that he was not attractive in his own rights, Angel just wasn't that kind of woman and a noble knight never used...cheap floozy talents such as those "parlor tricks". If that king of "excitement" is what this man wanted, it would have to be gained elsewhere or with someone else.

"Please forgive me if I am jumping to conclusions with your request, But if this means my body Paenloch, that is not for sale no matter the cause. I'd wait for Aria before that happens.", She said with the utmost respect to both him and Morrigan.

"If that is the case, I'll leave you both be. It was a pleasure to meet you.", She said with a slight huff before turning to leave the two of them to their...pleasures.

It wasn't easy to get Angel peeved but this did it. Her body was a temple...and an unused one to be frank. She wasn't a thing to be traded with, not even for the sake of Adela. She was a knight, not a whore...

Oh this wasn't going the way that he thought it would.

"Uh oh Paenloch. Looks like you're in trouble." Morrigon chimed somewhere in the back of his mind. He put a hand behind his head and scratched as he tried to figure how to make this sound good. No, that probably wasn't going to work out now was it. It wasn't as if he wanted all her body! Though, something was nice...she thought he was attractive. That was a plus, that was an in he could use, but...later. Right now he had to figure out a way to get back from this little...mistake. She didn't have to be so unreasonable, if her body was a temple, then it should be preyed at...

Or at least give some lip service.

"You're a pig." Again, Morrigon chimed in the back of his mind but he quickly ran forward in front of Angel, putting a hand on her shoulder. "No, there is no reason to go, I apologize for being so...forward. I don't often go to cities, the last time I was there the women were quite different than you. It was quite inappropriate of me to even suggest such a thing." He had to be very careful now didn't he? "Without putting you in any such position...what about just a kiss? Just a harmless kiss on the cheek. Surely that wouldn't put an imposition on your temple." He asked as he removed his hand from her shoulder, reaching up and pulling down the cowl that covered his mouth and nose. By all means, he was surprisingly normal looking for a creature not of this world. He looked almost...human really.

"A kiss, and I shall show you the location of a good stronghold." He was surprised by his particular actions. He could have gotten anything he wanted just be a few thoughts...but really...this wasn't about how easy it would be. Besides, maybe it was because she was a dragon rider, he had a little more respect for her. More respect than he usually did. "Maybe you're just getting older darling. Compromising even, I'm so proud of you." It was very hard to not show any emotion on his face when Morrigon made a comment, but Paenloch was very used to her, and kept his expression from betraying him.

Angel stopped when Paenloch stepped in front of her. She wasn't sure if he was being sincere in his apologies but he did show her his face and a kiss really didn't hurt anyone. She thought about it for a moment and stayed silent during this time. She was on the fence at first but as she thought before, he wasn't without his charm and if it made everyone happy then why not? Degrading a bit...yes but she was a woman and this was just one other "tool" she had in her arsenal.

"Fine...One kiss. Your hands or your mouth move elsewhere, I will light myself on fire killing us both.", Angel said, hinting sarcasm...yet meaning her words at the same time.

She put on a pleasant smile and looked up at the man in front of her. She could feel Morrigan's large, powerful eyes staring and her and felt a bit..uncomfortable. Angel had kissed others before...her boyfriend in high school and that one knight after her inauguration party but those were in privacy and also it never went any further then that...at ALL. She was conservative, very much so, but never without her urges.

"Close your eyes...both of you.", She said nervously.

This was actually going to work out for the better now wasn't it? He was a tricky creature after all, and he had his ways about him. It wasn't particularly evil, to ask for a kiss, though a kiss could be a gateway after all. He was already on the outermost rim of her mind, and the more she thought about him...the more he got into her head. The more he could hear his name and see his face inside of her mind. Oh how nice it was to have someone thinking of you, and not in the way that Morrigon did...which was often like a pet.

"I promise that my hands and my mouth will not move." Not that he didn't think it would be a really good idea...she looked like she had soft skin, a supple neck that just begged to be kissed, and of course, such tender flesh that would reflect every mark he could make. He kept control of himself however, knowing that he had to be very...very smart about his actions.

After all, he still wanted to fight beside her.

Morrigon was rather interested in this exchange, more because she wanted to see what Paenloch would do. She had seen what he could do to a person, both mentally and physically, and she was really wondering what he was up to. He often got what he wanted, and he wasn't one to just...well, give up so easily. Nor did he have any plan to, but this would take a little more subtlety. He didn't much like the idea of tangling with her, she used fire, and that was a painful thing for him. He just had to...well...get into her mind as much as possible.

"But I want to watch." Morrigon pouted as she closed her eyes. "Oh just relax Morrigon, this will be fun. After this, we'll go scare us up a meal of bandits, and maybe see what else can be done with Angel." Paenloch shot back to his dragon before he leaned down to her level and closed his eyes. "There, should make it a bit easier for you." He was after all, quite a bit taller than her, and this should make her little deed a bit easier. He didn't understand her prudish behaviour for the most part, but it was sweet in a way. That she thought she could really hide herself from him. He was a great telepath after all...he could get into her mind quite easily and just...look and tweak as he wanted.

Small wonder he hadn't already, but he wanted to have fun with this.

Angel felt a bit uneasy as he edged closer. His powers and his person both brought this up on her. She could feel his mind constantly clawing away at her person. If he wanted too, he could just force his way deep into her thoughts or even worse. Angel had nothing to hide, absolutely nothing from her past or her present so she didn't mind what he could learn but it's what he could force her do with such powers. She actually wished she wasn't alone at this moment but duty calls and he seemed eager for battle at least so that bought her some time to feel this situation out. When Aria returned, She'd have their bond to shelter her mind but for now, Angel was a sitting duck against a telepath and a dragon.

"...", Angel was silent before she reached up one of her ungloved hands to Paenloch's cheek gently.

With that, she reached up and kissed him, blushing heavily at the act of kissing a complete stranger. She kissed him on the lips, against her better judgment, and they were surprisingly soft. She kept a mental eye on his movements though...she was serious about the whole "lighting herself on fire" thing....

Fear.

Oh he could feel it from her. It was radiating from her very person, and it was oh so delicious. The strange veins pulsed with the beat of his heart, which grew faster as he fed. While one couldn't actually see inside his body, look through his chest at his organs and bones...you could see those strange veins. If one looked really closely, they'd see that the veins completely disappeared after the pulse raced through them, and then appeared again when the pulse of energy happened, though each time they weren't completely the same. He found this particular thing was either ugly to some people, or hauntingly nice. He could control it of course and stop it from appearing, but that took effort, and it made him feel dizzy for a few hours.

He preferred to keep it on during the day anyway...at night...it just gave him away. Maybe that was why he wore such clothes, to hide his veins from people, when he forgot to turn them off.

Paenloch almost twitched when her hand touched up his cheek. She was a little bit...colder than he was...but he was alright with that. He had almost been a warm sort of individual. Heh. He hadn't actually expected her to kiss his lips either, he had thought at most she'd kiss his cheek. This was a good surprise though.

He didn't move however, he wouldn't dare as she kissed him. He did however...stroke the pleasure centre of her brain to send a wave down her spine. He had been careful of course, she knew that he was in her mind, but he didn't want her to think that he was able to manipulate her. That's why it was only a brush, a gentle almost invisible touch, just in case she was aware of his mind more than she was letting on. He broke the kiss from her and stood up, putting a hand to his lips, letting them linger there for a moment before pulling the special cowl up around his face to hide his lips. "Do you think she'd be willing to kiss me? Even I felt it from here." Morrigon commented with a silent chuckle in his mind. He didn't roll his eyes but nodded.

"That was...lovelier than anything I could have ever hoped. Thank you Angel. Now, show me that map again, and I'll point us in the right direction."

Angel nearly pushed him away from the sensation she felt when she kissed him. It only worried her more that he was able to stimulate such feelings without the normal necessary touches required to do so. She decided against it though and went with it till he parted ways from her lips and spoke. She smiled at his remark and shook her head to rid herself of the embarrassment that came with his words. Angel silently retrieve her map once again after putting her gauntlets and cape on once again.

"I had word they were somewhere in...this region.", She said standing next to Paenloch whilst showing him the map and place her informants thought the Raiders were hiding.

The region of the Thunderblacks they said they were in was covered by trees and was vast. The stupid green things were blocking an aerial view they would be able to get via Dragon so she would have to normally search out the entire forest just to locate them. Hopefully Paenloch knew of the best places to camp in the forest and they could start there.

"I had originally planned to use...underhanded means to rid them of lands such as weakening them with a slight poison in their water supply but with you and Morrigan here and us all itching for a real battle, We can just strike them head on.", She said with a pleasant smile at the thought.

It'd been awhile since Angel was forced to use her real spells in a battle. The numbers of the Raiders insured a "good time" for them all even if they were ill-equipped to fight a telepath, a dragon, and a flame magician. If Paenloch wanted to fed on their fears...he certainly was about to get a buffet of it.

Ah, if only she knew what he was really capable of. He hoped of course she chalked the pleasurable wave that went down her spine simply to the kiss and nothing more. Because really, what more was there? It was just a kiss to her, she didn't know the extent of his powers, and he wasn't going to tip that hand to her so easily. He had to make sure that she was thoroughly confused, and that she didn't discover anything about him that she didn't need to know.

He looked at the map and scratched the side of his cheek in thought. "That's just a temporary spot, there isn't many there actually." He knew of that spot, and if you were lucky there were a couple of people camped there, but it was nothing actually great. If anything, it was an ambush spot for her. Paenloch of course had a certain advantage to his credit, being able to read and locate minds easily. He found all their little places, just so he could ensure a good feast when he needed it.

Damned if he didn't need it either.

"A knight wanting to poison a water supply? How interesting...how...deadly. Imagine all those that would die, human, elf, and animal alike. Imagine if a few dragons took a drink of it." There was a growl from behind him, from Morrigon, and he only laughed to himself. "Oh never you mind Morrigon, I highly doubt a poison meant for humans would do too much to your kind. Just trying to worry her." Paenloch shot back at his darling dragon in order to calm her, which it seemed to do thankfully.

"But this is where the real action is." He traced his finger up a river and into a mountain. "There. Main entrance here..." He said as he pointed to what looked like a nice flat area. "There's a stream that feeds into the cave, it's a very large place...and there are two exits...here." As he pointed to a spot a ways away from the main entrance. "And here." He pointed to a last area that looked like it led into a small river. "The river feeds into an underground source as well...but I can't imagine they can hold their breath long enough to actually use the river." He laughed, just the thought of them trying to use it. One had tried he heard, and some men were still afraid of whatever happened to him. Probably drowned...or maybe a nice underwater dragon of some kind ate him. Hah, that would be something now wouldn't it?

"If we put Morrigon and Aria at the two other entrances and go through the main entrance...we'll have them trapped. Any that run out the sides will run into our dragons...and we can take on the ones that want to fight. Shouldn't be more than a couple dozen...thirty at the most." He'd be able to figure out the exact number once they actually got there of course. Once they made it to the little stronghold thing they'd be able to work out more of a plan.

"Good plan?"

"The poison I had in mind would only WEAKEN them for awhile. A hindrance at most and it wouldn't really effect other animals besides making them dazed for a bit but you are correct. That was the same trouble I had with my initial plan.", Angel said to answer his little remark about deadly poisons.

She felt a bit uneasy at how eager he was to watch people suffer but alas...he had a good plan and Aria would be returning soon so it was foolproof. The Raiders were used to hiding and running from Dragons, not fighting them, and even if they had weapons and tools to do so, Angel was sure Aria and Morrigon could handle anything thrown their ways. With Paenloch at her side, driving the lot out in an ambush seemed like the best plan of action indeed.

"I like the sound of that. As long as we are careful and attack swiftly, we should have little to worry about. If it isn't to much trouble to ask, try not to kill to many of them if none at all. I'd rather avoid casualties as it simply looks bad for Adela if a Knight, a Warrior such as yourself, and two dragons massacred a group of people, Raiders or not.", Angel said, knowing all to well that her request wouldn't float over to well for someone like Paenloch.

"But that doesn't mean we can't severely hurt them and if we can't avoid killing them...then so be it.", Angel said with a resolve would scare most people.

It was her job...and she did it well...

"Best to go with something a little less...underhanded." Trapping them in a cave to either get attacked by the four of them, or drown themselves in a river was pretty underhanded but...it was a lot better than poisoning the water supply with even just a mild poison. Paenloch would rather just burst in there and start a fight with all of them...that was his style. He had backup anyway. While the dragons couldn't fit in the cave, they could at least help with anyone who tried to run.

"All these rules and regulations, this is why I prefer to work outside of any government or military organization." None would probably have him either, not with the way that he acted and what he really liked to do. They'd probably be appalled by it and would try to arrest him. That wouldn't go over very well. The ensuing fight would be terrific of course, but still scary to say the least. He didn't feel fear very often...but taking on an army was a rather frightening idea.

If only he could feed off his own emotions.

"See, now there's a terribly sexy thing to say." Paenloch grinned and winked at her, realizing she could only see the wink and not the grin. No matter. "If of course you don't mind me being so forward." He chuckled afterwards before looking to Morrigon and his halberd, picking it from the ground. "Well Morrigon, are you up for a nice fight?" He asked her as he grinned. Paenloch didn't care if people couldn't see it...they didn't need to. "Wherever you want to go, I'll take you there. Besides, maybe they have a horse or two." The dragon sighed, resigned to there being a rather impressive fight later. Could be fun.

"Then we leave for the caves then. I'll meet you there obviously. I wouldn't ask of Morrigon to carry anyone besides her rider.", Angel said with the utmost seriousness in her voice.

Of course, This would take awhile by foot. Perhaps an hour or two if she used a much quickened pace. Angel may be clad in armor from the hips up but she was one of the fastest knights on the force regardless of the fact she was a magician. Of course though, She was no match for a dragon...FAR from it. Morrigon would be there in a few seconds if not faster by the looks of the distance on the map. She didn't mind it though. She needed to wait for Aria anyways and the time she would use to run to the Raider's base would be plenty enough time for her to return.

"We leave then?", Aria said stretching a bit before her trek across the Thunderblacks.

She was a strong woman...that much was obvious. She'd fight the Devil himself if she had to for her kingdom and without fear. A bunch of ragtag bandits were meant nothing to her. What they were doing was unforgivable and she'd make sure they'd pay...one way or another.

"Well, if that's what you want...but I think it's better for us to go as a group. That way we can both arrive at the main entrance at the same time." That way if they got suspicious of his arrival, they wouldn't be able to really do anything about it. They could attack at the same time, have the dragons watch the other exits, and there would be no one to escape. In his opinion, one that really mattered, it was a much better plan than have her hoof it.

Besides, waiting till a bit later was good anyway, since the raiders didn't often operate at night!

"Oh we'll wait for your dragon, Angel." Paenloch said with a wave of his hand. Morrigon got comfortable, setting down on her stomach with her front claws folded in front of her, almost like a cat would. Paenloch sauntered over to her and took a seat at her side, his back to her and grinning slightly. "Comfortable dear?" Came the comment from Morrigon. "Have a seat Angel...tell me a bit about yourself. It's not every twenty years I find someone willing to hold conversation with me." It wasn't that long ago since he had actually talked to someone, but really, if he could make her feel a bit sorry for him...all the better right?

"I might even share a bit about myself, if you can believe it." It would be one of those exchange of informations that was sometimes necessary in his world. He had to admit, he did like having something new to talk to, something that wasn't a dragon either, who either looked down on him, or was disgusted with him.

And this one was quite vulnerable to his powers! All the better.

Angel didn't mind that plan at all to be honest. She didn't want to waste Paenloch's time, that was all but if he didn't mind waiting. Aria also would make Angel feel better. Angel's bond with Aria may not be enough to block such a powerful telepath's power but she wouldn't be a sitting duck completely. He seemed nice enough but many could play the part. It wasn't his appearance or his obvious lust for emotions but it was his powers that worried her. Magic was one thing that struck fear into others who did know but telepathy was a different story. Magic COULD be combated with other means other then magic but without an equally or stronger mental power, A person was powerless to stop such a talent that Paenloch held. Angel was a smart girl, a magician needed to be strong in body, mind and spirit, but she had a feeling this wasn't enough...not even close to it.

"If you insist, that would be fine with me.", Angel said before she stepped over and sat beside him.

"Well...My life isn't that interesting to be honest. I have lived the life of a warrior, a soldier, then a knight but am still young and have much to learn being I am only in my mid-twenties. I am however half-elf which will ensure a much longer lifespan then an average human but I am no Immortal like the true elves or the like.", Angel said, finally resting back for the first time this day.

"You said it wasn't every twenty years someone was willing to talk to you...I assume you are indeed immortal or close to it?", She said with puzzled look on her face that needed an answer.

Immortals and the like always interested her. To live for such a long time...was it a punishment? Did it bare such rewards as incredibly knowledge? Did one love the freedom of never having to worry about death at least by age or sickness? Being a half-elf, Angel had a large resistance to the signs of aging or sickness but was not an immortal by far. Angel wondered also...what WAS Paenloch? Was he just a different kind of human or elf or was he truly something...different?

So she was afraid. That was good to know. If you had fear to your advantage, if you had the control of fear, you could control a person. She was nervous and worried about him, about his power, and he loved that. Being feared...it was absolutely delicious. That's what this girl was too...afraid of him, and he could control her with it. Nothing would be more perfect than having this little...soldier wrapped around his pinkie finger. The only thing he had to do...was...oh. During battle. Yes. Now he had a firm idea of what to do. How good would this be? Terrific if that. "Careful little Moth, don't fly too close to the fire." Morrigon warned him quietly, which he would take into consideration. He just wasn't sure he'd listen.

"So young, so still so fresh, still trying to figure the world out. What it is to be twenty..." He shook his head, chuckling to himself. That would be something now wouldn't it? Being twenty again, he could almost imagine it. Almost. It had been so long ago really...and he didn't even have a physical body for that matter when he had been twenty. She probably couldn't even perceive that, and it wasn't as if it was because she were stupid, but because it was something that wasn't part of her world.

"So far I have been around for...oh my...must be eight thousand years or so...and age has not touched me yet." Paenloch took her with a small shrug, not really interested in his own physiology. He never bothered to really understand it, just as most people didn't bother to understand why they only lived for so long before dying.

He looked over to her, smirking slightly. "Cosmic Phantasm is what we call ourselves. We're creatures born of an eddy of emotions...hence my...mmm...desire to feed on them. When you're nothing but a floating mind in a chaotic swirling void of emotional energy...you tend to want more." She was strong with her thoughts, and they were getting clearer. She should have expected he might be listening...though, he always could have guessed her next question. He'd let her come to her own conclusion.

Angel looked at Paenloch with a smile, It was funny really how easily he looked into her mind and answered her question. He knew a lot about her already and she knew it. But if he thought it was fear in her heart, he was mistaken. Fear was immobilizing, weakening, and was not thing something Ange felt. If he tried, successful or not, to probe her mind and control it, she'd fight with her last and would first burst into flames killing herself then allow someone to control her. If he was such a strong telepath, he would know her resolve. He could be much stronger then her...sure, no one should believe they are invulnerable but to underestimate her was foolish. She wouldn't jump to conclusions but was sure he had something to hide. She wasn't the telepath here...he was...

"A Cosmic Phantasm?...So my assumptions you weren't entirely human or human at all was correct...", Angel said looking into his eyes for a moment, taking him in for that instance.

"But you people shouldn't so quick to judge and I am a prime example of that. I have done so in the past and have...for a lack of a better term, been burned because of it. It's a smart thing and a sad thing at the same time. People SHOULD be able to trust others quickly but this world isn't like that....far from it...", She finished with a grim look on her face.

She had hope for the world...but everyday she realize hope was a funny thing. It allows us to accept fate, however tragic it might be. She'd do everything in her power to make this world, Adela in particular, a better and safer place to live. But there was only so much one woman can do...

Paenloch did know her resolve, he knew that she had a command that few actually did. She really would burst into flames than let him actually use her in anyway she didn't want him to. That of course...meant that she had to want him to do things. Heh. That was a particularly interesting thing, he never really had to do that sort of thing before. It was interesting to think about...just the idea of manipulating someone so? It was positively delicious really. He wasn't going to try anything here...not yet...he had to be sure he could actually do it...he had to be sure he could even try it. Maybe manipulate her...just a tad at first.

It would have to be done during the battle, when her mind was most focused on other things.

"Very smart little soldier. Though, I'm not exactly trying to hide it...everything is a rather dead give away." He wasn't exactly human or elf looking, not even close. He could have picked any sort of form of course, but this one just...stuck out in his mind for some reason...and now here he was.

"No, you're absolutely right...people should trust others quickly but...you shouldn't should you? You have no idea what some people are, what they might want...no, to trust another right away is a terrible idea...it may be rude but...it is the way things must be." He told her simply as he closed his eyes. It was funny really...he almost felt...guilty...no...bad maybe? He felt bad that he would just help to solidify her distrust of strangers.

If he got so far of course.

"You know, I don't often like meeting new people, but this so far has been quite pleasant. I'm glad I decided to get a closer look at the fight...never would have found such a fair beauty." He grinned underneath his cowl at her, his eyes alight with mischief as he winked at her.

Angel sighed at his smart little come-on. She had heard them all before, a woman in her status always had come-ons like that aimed at her. Angel didn't find herself attractive or ugly to be honest. She didn't care about what others thought, only what she thought about herself. If she was happy with who she was, which she was, that was all she needed. Proving her worth to the men of the army was just an extra perk with a job well done. But Paenloch...He was obviously different. A smart, smooth talker. A manipulator obviously of people let alone women but he had that swag that made all that obvious yet probably irresistible to most women. Angel was different, no matter the looks, the status, the strength...it took much more to win her heart then gifts and smart comments and batty eyelashes.

"Lucky for me I suppose.", She said with a sarcastic smile before looking over at Morrigon.

What a fine beast...Not many Dragons like her anymore in the world or Aria for that matter. Once they covered this world but now they are were a proud few compared to before making them even more of a sight to behold. People didn't understand how special a bond was between a rider and the dragon unless they were a pair such as them or Angel and Aria. But like Rider like Dragon and Angel couldn't help but feel these two have been up to no good for quite some time. Angel had made sacrifices before though and if she needed to put herself out like some sort of mental bait to make this world safer then so be it. She just hoped she wasn't putting her trust in someone who would betray her.

"Listen, You know what I am thinking Paenloch and I am no fool. Let's get this straight. I don't really care what you do as long as I am not ordered to stop it but don't play with me. Regardless of the fact we are allies for now, I will not be a puppet like I bet others have been in your time. Be frank, What are looking to get out of this if I may be so bold?", Angel said with a most serious of faces aimed at him.

"I have been betrayed before, But as you can see I am still here regardless of the underhanded schemes of others. I am not someone to mess with regardless of my age, race, or gender. Do you understand?", She said with great strength behind her words.

"If your reasons behind helping are evil ones towards Aria or I, Then we part ways now and I will ignore the fact we met. If not, Then I will accept you and Morrigon as an ally for now and perhaps further but the Gods be my witness, I am not playing a game.", She said, not blinking once during her words.

A male could try, couldn't he?

Paenloch was really just trying to pass the time before the battle, and really this was one of the ways that he knew how. Messing with a person's mind. He was good at it after all. The compliment wasn't anything special of course, he could have tried to was poetic if he wanted to. He of course, found no reason to, since she was one of those...prudes. How fun they were...he'd broken one or two in his time...even one that claimed she was a princess. She wasn't of course, once he got into her mind he found she was just a hand maiden. She had still been incredibly fun too...but alas, that was so long ago. She seemed one of those rather prudish ones, and would be an incredible challenge.

"Oh my, such harshness. I like it." He grinned and chuckled to himself, shaking his head. She was a feisty little thing wasn't she? If only he could really get her to be something. That however wasn't going to happen now was it? At least not with her current disposition...maybe he could...change that. But as he thought before...not right now.

He laughed as she started to stand up to him. That was really interesting, and very bold of her. He couldn't say he really didn't expect her to get to this particular stage so quickly. He listened, and watched her, very carefully, wondering what she was trying to get at. Betray her? Well he never claimed to be on her side of course, so he couldn't betray her. If she thought he was on her side, well that was just silly. This wasn't really even a claim of "The enemy of my enemy is my friend" because...well, the raiders weren't his enemies. They were his food source after all...why take that away from him?

"It's not a game? How silly of me to think so. I'm not sure you could call them evil reasons...but can you blame a creature, born from hatred, from lust, from anger and jealousy, from raw unburdened emotions? That's all I am. An immortal being, with great mental powers that gives me dominion over lesser minds...can you blame my personality? My reasons? My wants and desires? Think of it as a challenge...that's what you do don't you? Rise to the occasion?" He took his Halberd from beside him, holding one finger up. Slowly the finger began to morph, extend into a long razor sharp claw. "I'm not playing a game either Angel. I am bored, I am horny, I am giving up a food source, and I am oh so powerful. This is how I relieve myself of boredom Angel." He began to run the claw along the halberd's blade, sharpening the blade.

"Life...should be about a balance. I'm helping you, be grateful of that. You should consider yourself lucky that I actually respect you for being a dragon rider. Your magic is strong...but your mind is untrained...I could shut you down right now and do whatever I pleased with you...while you just watched." Paenloch laughed as he continued to sharpen the halberd. "Upfront and honest though...I won't. It's not fun. You're a good soldier, a beautiful woman, and an interesting conversationalist. Something I rarely get to deal with for...obvious reasons I'm sure. So just relax. You are safe though while this little mission happens. Afterwards...we'll just have to see." Paenloch set the halberd down beside him and looked at her, smiling under his cowl.

"But I will try to get inside your head. It's what I do. However...we are your allies, you couldn't hope to have anyone better. You may have magic and a dragon, but those caves can be the death of you if you aren't careful." He explained to her carefully, his eyes locked onto hers, his face looking as serious as it could with it being half hidden.

"This doesn't have to be unfriendly, we don't have to be enemies. You just have to remember that I am different, that I am very...very different."

Paenloch's words seemed true enough and as he said he had nothing to hide. With a small huff, Angel crossed her arms and gave him the one over once more. Was she truly willing to put Aria in such danger...She did not care about her own well being so much but her partner meant the world to her. He was right about one thing for certain though, Dragon and Fire magic withstanding, The caves could still be dangerous even for them alone and if she was truly wanting these Raiders gone then an alliance of some sort had to be made. He assured her of his talents and willingness to be allies for the time being but his admittance of underhanded wants and desires left room for mistrust. Untrained mind or not, She'd try her best to keep it safe from him. Memories he could have, He could see all the way back to her first days if he wished of her, but she would rather die then allow any creature, human or not, to take advantage of her. No matter what she said though, it seemed he had his mind set on what he was going to do...or attempt to do at least. For now...They were allies and that's what she wanted to hear.

"Fine...That will do for now I suppose. I don't mean for us to be enemies at all, if I required your help or not. I do not make unwanted enemies and you can do what you please just not with me...", Angel said before relaxing her expression a bit to a more friendly one.

"...But thank you for sharing all of that with me.", She said...wishing he hadn't mentioned his horniness at least...

"Whatever you are, I'll put aside because for now you are an ally.", She said before looking up to the sky with a pleasant smile.

Aria had returned, The large diamond scaled dragon descended from above. A beautiful creature with emerald green eyes, three horns, and claws and teeth that shimmered like the precious scales on her back. No wonder these creatures were one of the most hunted in the land...their scales alone could make a man a lord or much more in any land but the cost was great. Facing one of these creature meant certain death to the untrained and even the greatest of Dragon hunters felt fear when in contact with something of Aria's magnitude and strength.

"Aria...It's good to see you again...", Angel said with a caring voice as her partner landed gently onto the ground as if she didn't weigh tons.

With their bond, Aria was filled in almost instantly of the happenings and what went on during her short leave from the area. No thoughts or words were needed for the two of them to converse...just their hearts and Aria gave Angel all her concerns and "word" in a split second. Angel brushed her companions nose gently to insure her it'd be alright and as long as the two were relatively close, Angel's mind was more heavily guarded. Aria was completely safe from such techniques however...even magic was relatively useless but her mind is what this breed of dragon pride themselves on. It's how they survived for so long with such a high bounty on their head. Angel though...was a different story.

"Well, It seems our party is gathered. Will you and Morrigon show us the way?", Angel said, feeling much better with Aria there.

Angel was safe...being so close to Aria but when they split up during their plan to invade the cave, that distance would be enough for Paenloch to be able to take completely advantage when he so desired once again. These thoughts however weren't really important right now. Angel would enjoy the ride as always and would battle as if it was her last against the Raiders. That was her first priority...

Oh she could definitely end up getting herself killed if she attacked the stronghold by herself. A dragon wouldn't be able to fit in the caves that they used, the raiders having specifically chosen it for that exact reason. It meant that Angel would be really without her dragon...and in the darkness of the caves, twisting, winding routes...she'd no doubt end up skewered...or even worse. A female knight amongst all those debauched individuals? Wouldn't go over very well for her. Really she was actually safer with Paenloch, despite him enjoying a challenge, he could see when he would really be beaten. Sure, he had some pretty tricks that he could do with his mind, but there was always his survival instincts.

"If I can't be brutally honest, what can I be?" He told her with a laugh. She was uncomfortable with the idea of him being aroused was she? Interesting indeed...it was all natural however, and why she couldn't understand that was beyond him. Maybe he'd get her to open up later...take a look in that brain of hers to see what was what.

There had to be some very interesting explanations.

"Glad to hear that. I wouldn't want to be your enemy." Oh far from it really! An enemy was one thing...but she seemed to take her job seriously, and being called an enemy could mean anything. Dungeon time for one thing, and without Morrigon around it would be a dismal experience. Not to mention, how would they define "life imprisonment" if he could live forever?

The return of Aria had been felt long before she had been seen. She was a rather good dragon when it came to her mental capabilities, but Paenloch hadn't survived on just his good looks and wit alone. He wouldn't dare try too much against the dragon, it would be wrong. After all, he couldn't do anything with Aria. She was in no danger from Paenloch. Angel however, was a warm blooded female humanoid, which spelled trouble from the Cosmic Phantasm.

The exchange between Aria and Angel was a quick one, and had Paenloch not been paying attention, he would have missed it. Such a strong bond, like the one he shared with Morrigon...but an emotional one. A deeper emotional one. It was strange to see such opposites...Paenloch was almost a little jealous of it. "Really? You want a deeper emotional connection with me? Then why not open your mind and let me in dear Paenloch, I could show you a world like they have." Morrigon taunted him quietly, just getting a grin from him. "I may be old but I'm not stupid." He simply replied, getting a slight chuckle from the large dragon.

"We'd be more than happy to." Paenloch replied as Morrigon helped him onto her back, holding the reigns with one hand, the halberd with the other. The great dragon gave a few hard flaps of her wings and was airborne rather quickly. With Morrigon leading the way, it gave Paenloch time to test the strength of Aria's mental fortitude. It was impressive of course, as were a lot of the dragons, and the backup that she offered Angel was rather nice...the only problem being Paenloch had found the weaknesses of her mind beforehand. She was emotional, it made her defences weak, and it had given him time to set out the tendrils. Granted, he couldn't make her do anything, or feel anything anymore, like he had when she kissed him...but...he could still do this.

"Once we land, Morrigon will take Aria to one of the other exits, then she'll fly around to the last one. When Morrigon is in place, she'll give me the signal, and we'll be able to move in. It will give me time as well to tell what sort of creatures are within the cave...raiders have been known to take on interesting...pets." Paenloch explained quietly to Angel, though for the girl it probably sounded like he was right beside her, talking into her ear. Some found it disturbing, some found it fascinating, who knows what she would think it.

Angel watched Paenloch mount, Morrigon and take off knowing she would need to do so as well. Angel, however, didn't require reigns or even a saddle. Her powers linked Aria to her more then simply emotionally but physically when she needed to ride. To knock Angel off of Aria was no simple task...not at all and Angel could stand on her partner's back as if it was the firm ground below. This made casting magic as easily as if she was placed on a stable surface and no matter the sharp turns and spins Aria took, Angel was there.

"Let's go Aria. Follow them please.", She said, not really needing to but it was always nice to speak to her friend every now and then.

They took off behind the other two quickly and used the break in the wind Morrigon was created to simply coast behind her gently. There was nothing Angel enjoyed more then riding. It made her feel such a way that words couldn't begin to describe the joy that she felt. If she wasn't following others and if she didn't have to keep her eye on Paenloch, She would have closed her eyes and simply enjoyed the wind beneath her hair. Today though she rode to battle...more then one it seemed.

"That sounds like a fine plan.", Angel thought, knowing all too well that Paenloch could hear it after his mental words were uttered.

She didn't mind his powers...She respected them but as long as it simply was just memories he was grabbing and words he was uttering. She couldn't bring herself to completely trust him and for good reasons. Even he said what he was and to be honest...She wouldn't normally resort in using such an alliance but she was out of options. With that scout group of Raiders taken in and her being without reinforcements, The Raiders in the base would move and hide elsewhere making it nearly impossible to locate again and she couldn't allow that.

"Let me know when we reach the stronghold and I'll alert Aria to get into position.", She mentally uttered with a smile looking forward to battle.

She WAS a Knight after all...Battle is what she did...

Paenloch wasn't as lucky as Angel, not having the ability to simply fuse himself to the dragon under any conditions. Even if he COULD do that, he still would have reigns. What if something went wrong after all? Paenloch didn't have the ability to stop himself from falling wildly to the ground anyway, so why bother risk it? Why bother take the chance...sure, Morrigon was able to rescue him easily no doubt...but free falling always felt odd. Perhaps it took him back to a simpler time...a time when he was just a mind floating in space.

As good an explanation as needed.

"Such a lazy flyer, you don't ever see me coasting behind other dragons." Morrigon commented to Paenloch, who just had to laugh. It was a rich sort of laugh, a laugh right from the core. While he could be a creature of intense hatred, of anger, jealousy, of pain and suffering...he could be one of laughter and happiness...he just...wasn't often. Yeah.

"Glad you agree, I'd hate to have to change such a plan." He spoke with humour in his voice, which must have been a tad...strange to hear. He was starting to feel a bit...ugh, he wasn't even sure. It must have been Angel, if he fed off emotions, he often...started to exhibit them, and she was so...bubbly. Maybe that was why he was afraid of cities...of being infected with such positive emotions. Negative ones filled him up the most after all, but he couldn't imagine feeding solely off positive emotions.

"When we get there, we'll land first, then Aria and Morrigon can get into position." Paenloch explained once more, wanting the plan to go perfectly. He didn't want for something unexpected to happen, for them to deviate from the plan.

"Did I just feel...excitement from you? No...battle lust. Are you excited about the upcoming battle? Oh I'll make a Phantasm out of you yet." Paenloch joked with her as he turned around to look at her, waving with his halberd. She was right though...the battle was going to be fun.

"Understood...", Angel's mind uttered the response before getting a clear view of her surroundings whilst standing on Aria's back.

The Thunderblacks was a fine place, perfect for Dragons with the large expense of land and very few hiding places for prey but that also was the same case for these Raiders. They found probably one of the only true hiding places for them to operate from and normally such strategic placement would impress Angel but what they were doing was wrong. Taking advantage of the weak and completely helpless was something Angel couldn't stand. The Raiders knew it was difficult for the Knights and Soldiers from Ketra to get to the Thunderblacks and that the people were helpless to stop them. Pillaging, rape, murder...These were just a few things they were all wanted of and Angel was sure to make them suffer...at least before she handed them over...or what was left of them at least. That was one of the perks of being a Knight...Judgment was oh so sweet to pass onto those who deserved it.

"Hahahaha, Is it that surprising? I am a Knight after all. I wouldn't be one if I didn't enjoy battles at least somewhat. It has been some time since I have fought such numbers of enemies with such few yet talented help.", Angel said mentally before smiling and looking at her hands.

They burned...It was that time. She would fill that cavern with flames by the end of this day. The White Flame was a gift yet a painful and dangerous one. If Angel didn't practice everyday and expel the excess fire within her, It would either get out of control or kill her...burn her from the inside out. She had nearly experienced this before when she first had gotten the gift as a child. Not knowing what it was, Angel thought nothing of the burning sensation she felt in her hands until she nearly burnt down her home one night. Angel's mother thought that with Angel being half-human, she wouldn't acquire the gift and there would be nothing to explain but oh how she was wrong. From that day forward, Angel vowed to never let it get out of hand again...

"It doesn't take a telepath to feel you are excited as well Paenloch. Let's make this battle a wondrous one.", Angel finished before signaling Aria to prepare for the coming battle.

Oh she was a silly little thing wasn't she?

The dragons had been smart creatures to live in the Thunderblacks, a sustainable fortress for them really. There was nothing there that could really hunt them easily, it kept all the nasty predators away, and it gave them the much needed space. Of course...there were some things in the mountains that really hindered the creatures...like cave systems they couldn't get into, and the ones they couldn't flush prey out of using their breath attacks. Of course, people had to leave eventually, so the dragons would win in the end, they could outlast and outsmart.

"You think yourself so pure though, in such a white light, and here you are, with such a shadow casting across yourself. I'm not saying it is terrible at all, the exact opposite of course...it's a very sexy fit." He laughed quietly in the back of her head, looking over his shoulder once more to view his potential...target. Just what she was going to be anyway?

He could decide that later, right now he had well...something to deal with. A little battle was going to take place...then he could worry about what she was.

"Oh my excitement was never meant to be hidden. Well...heh, nevermind." It was a dirty little joke that would take a while to explain no doubt. He decided to just keep it to himself however. He gave a tug on the reigns, causing Morrigon to suddenly start toward a mountainside. "Here is where we get off Angel. Morrigon will lead Aria to her position once we have landed." Paenloch explained before Morrigon started flapping her wings, slowing her until she was just upon a ledge in front of a large hole in a cavern. Paenloch let go of the reigns and slid off of her back onto the stone below. He held onto his halberd and gave a nod to the dragon, who nodded back to him. Paenloch chuckled to himself and then looked to Angel and Aria.

"Go with Morrigon, Aria. She will take you to the exit now, you must cover it and ensure none escape." Paenloch turned to his new companion and grinned, hefting his halberd onto his shoulder. "Do you want to go in there, ask them to surrender their arms, or shall we just...attack the first one we see?"

"I never said I was pure. I am a knight, not a saint.", Angel thought before nodded at Paenloch's cue to land.

But landing wasn't necessary with Angel, Not exactly. With a quick pass where Paenloch had landed, Angel simply jumped off Aria with not so much a worry in the world. The fall would clearly injure if not kill her...if she hadn't done this time and time again. With a quick snap, flames burned below her feet causing a sudden updraft for her to land with a small thud on the cliff surface unharmed. A quick landing could make or break a Dragonrider and Angel knew that all too well.

"Go Aria, Be safe...Give them hell.", Angel said as she saw off both Dragons with a gentle smile knowing such powerful creatures would be alright, especially together.

"No...We use the element of surprise and tear them asunder. Aim for injury, not death please and try to quickly seal off their exits if you can. If you can't...Then do what you must. I'd rather see them all dead then see another civilian caravan pillaged as bodies lay about in the wreckage. I had orders to "take care of the raider threat". There was no REAL indication they needed to be alive.", Angel said clenching her fists as she prepared for battle.

Angel hated to use such tricks to blow away an enemy but they were clearly going to be outnumbered...but never outmatched. She'd show them that crime resulted in harsh punishment...either jail-time or death for the lot of them. No Court hearing, The judgment is passed down by Angel and Angel alone. This was one of the largest perks of being a Knight...making those who deserved nothing suffer.

"Oh...But I steal for my family...my children...my...", Angel said mocking some pleas she had heard before.

"A load of crap, Stealing is one thing but pillaging, killing, raping...These things are simply not necessary and is what has sealed their fates today.", She said as if she was a completely changed person...no pity for those who shown no mercy to the weak...

She did think she was pure though, maybe just pure in body, but maybe she was not pure of mind. How interesting. He kept his thoughts to himself, not wanting to say anything wrong. After all, he was trying to be...nice...trying to convince her otherwise. Though he had already said he was anything but that, but for now he was playing along with her.

And she wanted to be quiet about it? Morrigon was good at being quiet for such a great beast, but this woman was making fire, hot enough to stop herself from falling quickly. It was a bit of a showy little thing, but he made no mention of it. She should have just...done what he had done...but it was too late for that now, wasn't it? Not that he much cared of course, if it attracted the raiders the fight would just begin sooner.

There wasn't a thing wrong with that in his eyes.

"So..." Paenloch reached to scratch the back of his head in confusion. Don't kill them, but kill them because it was okay? To hell with it, he was going to do whatever he wanted with them. They were weak anyway...their minds so soft and so easy to crush. He smiled to himself at that thought. So very easy to crush. He reached out with his mind to listen to theirs, to hear their thoughts and to know how many were there. He started to sift and sort the different voices, the different thoughts of the people that they would be attacking. Eventually he had it all sorted out, and was surprised by a few of them.

He was shocked by her sudden outburst, his eyes looking to her and staring at her. She was a very strange creature wasn't she? He liked that though, he loved the strange ones. Heh heh. She was the strangest one so far though.

"Well, aren't you just a fiery little thing. I hope you're ready though...I count thirty four humans, three elves, six beast people, a goblin, and what I believe is one very large, very dangerous tiger-like creature." Paenloch rattled off the numbers to Angel, watching the cave entrance carefully and peering into the darkness. This was going to be a real adventure. He lifted his halberd and headed for the entrance. "Well, let's go have some fun, since it's the only kind you want to have." He told her, his tone almost bored as he spoke. It wasn't exactly boredom though, it was actually more like...emotionless. He was preparing for the battle that would be happening soon.

Angel took in the information Paenloch spoke and kept a mental number and picture of them in her head. Her hands burned as she pressed her middle finger against her thumb, preparing to snap a flame once she saw her opponents. She stepped aside Paenloch closely and looked about the cave with such a focus that it seemed the fire would blast out of her eyes instead of her hands.

"I'll assault the creature once I see it. From experience fighting these raiders, I believe it will be our biggest threat but that doesn't mean we should underestimate or forget about the rest. Though I will say this, Human's tend to run and panic when their friends are aflame.", Angel thought, hoping Paenloch was still peering into her mind as before.

And there she was...In the cavern...about to have one hell of a fight...

"Let's begin...", Angel said, rubbing her fingers together gently when she saw her first group of opponents...

She could definitely be a scary thing couldn't she? Not that he minded of course, it was quite...interesting to see. All he had to do was keep that adrenaline rush going in her, eventually her body would become so sensitive, yet it would want to keep moving, keep working, keep going. He could use that against her...oh how he could use that against her.

"You'll do no such thing. The creature is hungry, on a chain, and kept at a distance with swords and spears. I will handle the creature myself, I can handle it. You worry about the men who can hurt you." Paenloch explained to her. The beast, from what he could see, was beautiful, there was no point in letting it be killed at this point. Besides, letting it be sent into the mountains to cause fear and panic. Something could come of this that was good at least.

"Yes, let's get started. And don't use the fire, draw your sword or whatever weapon you have, you want them alive remember?" Besides, if she wanted to kill them, she would do that with fire. It would give him nothing to do, and then why bother asking for his help? Deftly he spun the halberd around in a circle before dashing at the first group of opponents. There was only six humans, two beast men, and an elf in this little group, and they had not been prepared for the assault. They just had weapons, their armour still laying around. Excellent.

Watching Paenloch fight was like watching a graceful acrobatic at work. The halberd was not weapon, but simply an extension of his body. It swung and sliced with such accuracy, his body twisting and contorting to dodge the attacks sent at him. The sound of men screaming, of metal smashing against metal was heard in the little group that Paenloch was fighting. As she said, no killing, and so he didn't aim for anything vital, no stabbing in the heart, no aiming for necks, no slicing of any vital veins or anything important. For such a tall person, Paenloch appeared to have this whole thing down pat. Beast men fell first, having used both his long claws and halberd to slice both arms and legs to disable them. They were the ones that he worried about, because they could be quite powerful opponents, take them out first and worry about the humans and the elf.

The loud twang of a bow caught Paenloch's attention, and his shoulder as an arrow stuck out of it. It was automatic however, the pain cluster was cut off, endorphins were sent into the blood stream, and his adrenaline was pumping. "Any time you want to join me would be nice. They're all focused on me so it gives you a chance to STAB THEM WHEN THEY AREN'T LOOKING." Paenloch's voice in her mind was loud, as if yelling at her through clenched teeth.

Angel enjoyed the way Paenloch fought and was impressed in his prowess on the battlefield but this wasn't the time to sit around and let a stranger do all the work. She couldn't help but laugh a bit at his, "Don't use fire", comment and she flickered her fingertips a bit sparking a flame...a bit different then her normal...BURN EVERYTHING spells. She was a Mage-Knight...Not a fool. She knew how to handle opponents without burning them to ashes. She saw an arrow pierce Paenloch's shoulder and sprung into action, knowing all to well Paenloch didn't really NEED the help but this was her fight originally, not his.

"On it sweetheart...I'll help you take out the arrow later.", She thought playfully before brandishing...a whip made of fire.

This wouldn't kill them...no, just burn them where it struck and would make quick work of the elf who fired an arrow at Paenloch as well as a few humans. Angel spun for a moment, giving the whip momentum, before launching at archer and his bow. It burst into flames quickly and before he could react any further, Angel lashed the whip out once more, smashing the curved fire against the elf's chest. From the force, The man spun and fell to ground now smoldering a bit but he'd be alright.

Just then, four others, all human from the looks of it, charged at Angel, trying to break her range and forcing her into melee but Angel was a knight...not a little mage girl in a tower studying magic. Her fighting style was a mix between dancing and ribbon work if one were to look at her. Her graceful movements and careful placing of her hand made the whip dance about her, lashing out at her opponents one by one while keeping them at bay. Angel, however, wasn't a war god and even with such skills, she failed to realize another human in the shadows of the cavern throw a net upon her to stop her graceful assault against his allies.

"A net?! Really...Do I look like a wild boar?", Angel thought to Paenloch but had a serious tone to her "words".

The net wasn't meant for boars or even humans but for dragons. It was made of some sort of heavy steel and it was obviously flame resistant as her whip only sparked upon the many lines the net had. She tried to struggle free but the weight alone was nearly forcing her on all fours and the Raiders only edged closer with their blades. Angel only looked at them and decided that...until Paenloch came over to aid her a bit...she'd rather keep them at least a bit away.

"Incendia Exuro , Extraho Flamma , Unus Secui Abyssus Aestuo..."

As these words left Angel's mouth, she filled the area under the net with intense flames which didn't break the net but caused the weaving in the net to work like a funnel to spread the flames about and around her...keeping the raiders at bay but she wasn't sure for how long and this was painful, even for her to endure.

He didn't know the capability of her powers really, the exact power that she had over fire, so he was worried that it would get quite out of hand, and end up just roasting everyone including himself. He wouldn't actually doubt it really, considering that she probably didn't see him in the best light. One less psychic psycho out of the world, nothing wrong with that was there? He'd just have to be careful, a little wary of her particular attacks. Hopefully she wouldn't use that aggression that she had upon him and end his life.

"It's only an arrow, I'll deal with it when needed." This arrow was slim at least, it wouldn't be too painful, and it wasn't poisoned either. Oh how good that was too.

He was too focused on his own opponents to really pay attention to what his fighting companion was up to. There were some odd sounds going on, but he wasn't really able to look away from his opponents. He was too busy ducking, dodging, and defending against the attacks of the swordsmen and one axe wielding raider. The axe man was dispatched quickly with a nasty slice down his back and across his legs, cleanly disabling him. The halberd was nice and sharp, which would do well to cause painful stinging for him. He'd be down for a while.

"Anything but that, lovely Angel." Paenloch sent back as he turned his attention to her for just a moment to see her in the net. He could only smirk slightly before his attention was back to a swordsman who was attacking him. Paenloch simply batted the sword from the man's hands before reaching out and grabbing the fellow by the neck. His invasion into the man's mind wasn't difficult, he was looking for the right spot in the brain that controlled motor functions. The man struggled, but Paenloch's arms kept him at bay as he tried to find the correct spot. Finally, the man fell limp, his eyes open still and full of fear. Paenloch discarded the man's body and hefted his halberd, looking toward Angel under the net, fire all around her to keep men at bay.

Plucking an axe from the ground, he hurled it toward on of the men around Angel. It sliced into the man's shoulder blades, sticking out like a new appendage, which caused him to yell in pain and try to grab at the weapon in his back. That's when Paenloch charged, with the men distracted, confused, and now with one disabled by an axe...it was anarchy and chaos. The swordsmen around her were easily to dispatch, most of them scared by the fire and the tall halberd wielding psychic. It took only a few moments to either break arms, or cause disabling wounds. They weren't incredibly creative wounds of course, but they would all live.

"You can turn the fire off now Angel, and take the net off. It doesn't really suit you. Now leather and chains...that's a different story." He commented as he stood not far from her, out of the range of the fire and her wrath. Just in case she didn't particularly like his comments.

Angel turned off the fire and shined as if she had just polished and cleaned her attire moments before. This was because of ruins placed within her clothes and armor which, instead incinerating under the intense flames like normal armor and clothes, it would stay untouched by her own attacks. She removed the net quickly and threw it over one of the now disabled Raiders with a smile.

"Thanks.", Angel said with her actual voice rather then her mind.

The battle was far from over yet. As some raider decided to abandon their comrades and head to the "exit" at the other side of the cavern, Some others decided to charge at the two warriors in hopes to outnumber and dispatch them. Angel decided it was enough of this "play". She decided to up the pain and speed this up as there was only so long their ambush would confuse the Raiders. With that, Angel brandished two flame whips and looked at her charging opponents with dangerous intent.

"Contages , Basium a Incendia a Aestuo , Vestri Pectus Pectoris , Vestri Nex , Vestri Poena..."

With that spell, Angel's flame whips now had blue tips and the Raiders would soon know what that meant. With that done, Angel flung her whip upon a human raider wielding a spear and when the tip brushed the man's chest, he bursted into a blue flame for a split second, charring him enough for injury but not death. This would insure her attacks would do enough to stop them. With one more down, Angel had many to get to so she sprung into action.

Well, she certainly was shiny now wasn't she?

"Of course." His reply was short and curt, just as his nod was.  He was still focused on the battle, his mind was reaching out, looking, searching, ensuring that they were safe. He didn't like the idea of people sneaking up on him and Angel, or any of those...creatures that the raiders were keeping here. He had to wonder about the goblin, and the beast that was somewhere in here.

His halberd was hefted as the men decided to charge at them, and he could only laugh at them. Fools. Such idiotic fools. Angel was doing something, but he had stopped paying attention for the time being. He was focused on the attack, assessing the situation, his mind working at incredible speeds now as he waited for the right moment. Angel had done something, her whips were now quite a bit more...fierce. "Try not to hit me with those will you?" He asked her as he noted one of the men burst into flame for a second before falling. She really liked her magic, he only wished that she would use a sword like a traditional knight.

He wondered how good she could really be with one, if all she did was use magic.

No matter, it was time for him to act. He rushed into the fray, careful to avoid Angel's little flame whips. He headed straight for the minotaur looking fellow, one who held a rather large hammer in his hands. Okay...this would be interesting. He decided to use the blunt end of the halberd, using it to strike the minotaur in the head several times. The minotaur was strong, but it was very slow, Paenloch was good, but he wasn't that good. He was a little slow in drawing back, giving the minotaur time to smack Paenloch rather soundly in the side. Once more...Paenloch's mind was quick to shut pain off...but he was pretty sure his ribs had been broken. That was alright though, as long as he kept the pain shut off, he would still fight.

He could heal later.

Right now, he turned his Halberd around, and simply stuck the sharp tip right through the minotaur's neck before slicing it sideways. A thick spout of blood shot from the beast's neck and mouth as it dropped the large hammer, clutching at the new wound. This would be one raider that wouldn't be getting back up. Using a running start, and his halberd to vault him forward, Paenloch struck the beast's chest with his feet, sending it reeling back into three raiders, all of them collapsing together in a mess of men and minotaur.

Hmph, good riddance.

Angel would be impressed in Paenloch's feats of battle but was too busy to notice such things. She was burning up some raiders, one at a time, with her "dance". Her whips flinging about and tearing the men apart one by one but managing to keep them alive for the time being. She was talented, that is how she became a knight, but she was no God. Her focus was on the warriors she was attacking which left her open from behind.

"Shi...", She muffled a curse as a large man with metal gauntlets hammer-fisted her side brutally so.

Her armor under her cloths only protected her so much as the wing was blasted out of her body, the impact flinging her across the ground for some distance. Her whips had dissipated and in charged the hammering man and she acted fast, picking up a small Estoc a fallen raider was using to shield and deflect the man's attack. She flipped up quickly only to have the behemoth of a man charge at her once again...but he forgot what an Estoc was used for. One swift thrust, Angel's new weapon pierced straight through the man's metal hands before coming out of his elbow on the other side. With a flick of her finger against the handle of her blade, The man blew up in a blaze of fire, not being as lucky as the others before him. He fell dead onto the floor in a thud and Angel drew the Estoc from his lifeless body.

"Whips are leaving me open...I have no choice.", She said as she lit the blade aflame in an instant.

She entered a standing fencing pose and looked at even more men charging upon her. She couldn't play around anymore. Their numbers were insane and they weren't without their talents. Trying to keep them ALL alive was out of the question. She sighed at that fact and focused her stance. This battle was only just getting started and she was certainly going to have more serious wounds then this before the day was over...

"You ok? I don't mean to check on you but I care about my partners in battle. Alert me if you need aid Paenloch, not saying you do of course.", She said with a mental smile and a playful tone to her voice.

At least he knew she wasn't invincible. He had wondered for a while there if he was actually needed here. She seemed to be rather impressive in battle, and her ability to keep them at bay was quite good. Though, she had been under that net, which seemed to hamper a lot of things, but maybe she wouldn't have ended up that way if he hadn't been here. It was too hard to know, considering things have already been set in motion. It wasn't as if he knew the past and the future and could just see alternate realities. Oh if only he were that good of a psychic.

He was unfortunately too pre-occupied to really help her with the large man who was attacking her.

Then she did that most annoying thing again.

Offered him aid.

His eye twitched slightly as she let him hear the thought, so playful, almost as if she were smiling. Was she mocking him? It was a good possibility. It made his anger rise to the surface though, and he just wanted to smack her for it. He need help from her?  As if. He would never need help from anyone, he was Paenloch. A prideful man that wouldn't ask for help, even if he were dying in front of a holy man with the power to save him. "I'd worry about yourself, delicate flower, before worrying about me. I am able to handle such exquisite pain." He shot back to her, his tone slightly cold. She offered him aid. It was...disgusting to think about.

He didn't have much time to think about that as volley of arrows came out of nowhere. He was only lucky that he had managed to pick up the thoughts of an elf leading three people with crossbows and compound bows. He would never be able to take them out from where he was, so he simply dropped to behind the large minotaur body, the men underneath were unconscious now from lack of air. He managed to pull the body in a way that it would free them, and protect him from arrows. It was so he could work. They were waiting, he could feel their tension from here, the fear, the excitement, the blood lust.

That was his key. He forced his way into their minds, save for the Elf who seemed to have a stronger mind than the humans he commanded. That was alright. Slowly, enticing out the blood lust with thoughts of killing his superior, the man fired a bolt straight through the Elf's neck. Surprise was apparent on his face as he dropped to the ground, clutching at his neck. The other two turned to their companion, and a small battle began, and ended rather quickly as the two used short swords to kill their traitor of a companion. While that was happening, Paenloch was there, halberd in hand to finish up the two with a couple of quick swipes of the weapon.

Angel continued her attack on the men as arrows were fired upon her as well. These fools didn't know how to fight a fire mage...firing wooden arrows so foolishly. With a snap of her free hand, the arrows were reduced to ashes before she charged at the men firing arrows at her. With a few quick slashed and thrusts, she was upon them, her flaming sword burning through their armor and bows quickly. One man pulled out a sword and attempted to attack Angel with it. A parry and a dodge later, Angel was at the man's back and thrusted her Estoc into the man's back, blasting flames from his now open chest as his comrades on the other side, killing them all.

"I tried to make this assault have little casualties but we can't sacrifice our own safety to keep them alive...", Angel thought to Paenloch with a seriousness that only spoke the truth.

Angel then continued her assault but was halted when she heard a roar. Wonderful...She found the large beast that Paenloch had warned her about. It was across the cavern, staring at both Paenloch and Angel with fangs and claws drawn. Angel looked over to Paenloch and put on a..."Well!?", face. He said he'd deal with the creature without Angel having the need to burn it to ashes. She wouldn't return to battle though until she knew which of them was going to battle the thing...

At least she was able to keep the arrows at bay. Sure, he couldn't do anything as fancy as simply burn them out of the air...but he could mess with their minds, he could screw with their brains and make them miss, but he couldn't really affect the arrows that much. Unless he knocked them off course with a strong blast of psychic energy. Still, he couldn't do that all the time, she seemed to be able to hold her own against wooden arrows. He could only imagine if they were using cross bow bolts made of metal. That would hurt. Heating up the steel of the bolt would probably make it go through your armour and what not quicker.

He almost purred at the idea, just imagine how many emotions would be going through her head if that happened. How many emotions would be in the air that he could eat.

"Oh yes, let's not try to keep them alive if it means we won't be. I won't lose my life to one of these things." Paenloch muttered back to her as he ducked under a sword before putting his halberd through a man's shoulder blade. They didn't realize that a halberd could be long or short distances.

"Yes, I see it. I'll handle it." Paenloch said as he turned his attention toward the beast. It was like...a wolf had been bred with a tiger and a lion at the same time. It was massive, and it looked angry. It had lots of marks on it, scars and old wounds, obviously it had been tortured to some degree to train it...or at least, force it to not attack them. Paenloch had a plan of course. The creature gave a growl, and Paenloch stepped up. Amidst the chaos and the battle around him...he ignored the people about him. Right now as far as he was concerned, there was only him and the beast. He reached his mind out, enveloping the beasts mind to overpower it to some degree.

He didn't want to break the mind...but he wanted the creature to know that he was not an enemy. The glowing veins pulsed and pulsed as he reached his hand out toward it and focused on it. His hand touched the creature's head, and the connection was made. "Run. Fight those who hurt you." He spoke in a hushed tone. The creature, now viewing Angel and Paenloch as friends, darted off toward back into the tunnels. There was screaming, fear, and confusion. Paenloch took a deep breath and grinned.

"If I do this every day, I'll get fat." He commented to himself, chuckling before rejoining the battle to start attacking raiders.

Now there was one less opponent to death with...well more then one as the monster ran through the tunnels killing raiders left and right. Their numbers went from high to low in a matter of moments and the ambush was a success, at least in Angel's eyes for the time being. This was going well but being cocky was the last thing in Angel's mind at the moment because it only took one opponent to kill a warrior.

Angel jumped back into the fray, her hands burning up from anticipation. Her body erupted for a moment like an explosion, pouring flames down a tunnel of the cavern, filling one side of the walls to the other full of intense flames. She thought it was about time she stopped playing around and as long as Paenloch was not in front of her flames, she could stop holding back. Enough with the parlor tricks...She needed to think about ended this as soon as possible.

"Having fun yet Paenloch?", Angel thought with a smile before throwing waves of flames at her opponents as they ran around trying to avoid them.

Her body felt amazing when it was expelling all of those flames from her body. She held her body in one place as she assaulted all those around her beside Paenloch of course. She was very focused now on all around her as Raiders either fled from her flames or tried to break through for an attack only to be met with an intense heat. It didn't take much to stop those who weren't prepared to battle someone with magic or had the talents to do so.

At least his mind was still as strong as ever.

Angel's power was not one to question either. The flames that began to pour from her were quite impressive, they were very intense and he could barely get near to her. He decided he wasn't going to get near to her, he was just going to stay behind her as she started throwing flames. This wasn't battle. This wasn't even close to battle. He almost felt...sickened by the woman in front of him. When it came to fighting, it was an art form, it was about honour, it was about the test of strength against your opponent. The battle of life and death.

This though...

"Not really. This is a slaughter. On the one hand it's sexy, on the other...it's very...terrible. This was cowardice, plain and simple. Getting things done faster? It was fear. It wasn't the fear that everyone knew of course, but she had grown fat on having her magic powers, on being able to simple defeat a person by snapping a finger and having them burst into flame. Was he guilty of the same thing? Sure to a degree, he put people to sleep all the time with his psychic abilities, but this was just...this wasn't even close to being a fight.

Paenloch leaned onto his halberd as he watched her with mild disgust. He was a creature who tortured people mentally and physically. This however, didn't even same at all fair to them. Not to mention she had wanted to, at first just subdue them, but now she just wanted to kill them all. Conflict was abound, and he wasn't sure what he wanted to do. Maybe he just was jealous that she was getting all the fun. After all, she had wanted his help, but now she was just...shooting fire everywhere.

He wondered idly if this would drain her completely soon. After all, wasn't there a limit to magic? Didn't it wear you down? He wasn't sure of magic really, but he was sure that it had some sort of limit. He'd find out though wouldn't he?