In the Name of Science!

DragonSong · August 18, 2018, 06:42:38 PM

Oh.

Oh no.

"Samuel, oh gods..." Swallowing, Alleaya quickly nodded and shuffled forward. "Here, sit, I'll...I'll try to be quick, okay?" Urging him to sit with a gentle tap from her muzzle, she eyed his demonic arm warily.

She had to be very, very careful.

"Okay. Okay, just...just breathe. It'll be fine." As delicately as she could, the young dragon lifted a forepaw and slowly let one talon prick against the black skin. A shudder rippled along her skins, but she pushed it aside and let her claw dig into his skin.

The tip of her talon caught against the head of the shaft and she let out a careful breath, whispering, "Sorry, sorry, sorry," as she flicked her claw back, opening a long, narrow gash and pulling the head out above his skin.

Kingfisher · August 19, 2018, 10:08:46 PM

It was a little surprising but beside the pain of magic transfering through the demonic arm, Alleaya's law was nearly drowned out. Samuel watched the furrow left and the quarrel come to the surface and quickly snatched it free before the demon could try and close up.

Suddenly, the pain was gone and the black arm began to calm, closing back into the form of and arm, the shuddering knot of evershifting black ooze once more looking like an oily glove. He could not have been happier.

Sadly, though, they had wasted time and the sound of the thug drew closer. The assassin was not up to the task of fighting at the moment and they could not return to Zantaric with the dragoness in her current state. She also did not seem ready to fight and if he could help it, it was better not to rely on her. Hiding was a much better option. Luckily, there was another demon he could use for that.

Plucking a paper talisman from the pouch on his belt he tore it, recognizing the seal. In a puff of acrid purple, a grotesquery took shape. It was nothing more than a ball of green flesh with thousands of pores that oozed a strange light. The creature simply hovered, without will or intention, as Samuel said, "Quick, curl into a ball under the Deceit." The creature had a hypnotic effect on most mortals and as the thug drew closer the mage warned, "Don't look directly at it." It was the best he could do. Hopefully it worked...

DragonSong · August 24, 2018, 02:45:50 PM

Oh gods.

Oh gods oh gods oh gods.

Whimpering quietly as she swallowed back a thousand questions, the dragon curled herself as small as she could and tucked herself under the..."Deceit".

"How long do we wait?" she whispered. "What if it doesn't work?"

Kingfisher · August 28, 2018, 08:15:03 PM

The assassin hissed, urging the dragon to remain silent as one of the the thugs stepped into view. The pair remained where they were, cowering beneath the demon as unnatural light flooded out. The demonic arm was still trembling, not yet recovered from the damage earlier so fighting was out of the question for him. They would have to wait indefinitely...

The goon with a club over his shoulder glanced away at first, seeking the fugitives in one direction before scanning back towards them. His eyes seemed to fix on them and for a moment, he seemed to have his focus trained on them. Then, his gaze slid away as he failed to register the pair, strobing lights twisting his mind to the creature's purpose.

The thug passed them by, unconciously avoiding the duo as he approached a comrade who came out of the woods behind him. "They're gone," he grumbled.

"Figures," said the other man. "No chance of finding anything now. We headin' home?"

"Pro'lly best we do. Come on." They were already leaving, bitching growing faint as they passed out of ear shot. Still, Samuel remained quite without releasing his demon, wanting to ensure they were truly safe.

DragonSong · September 06, 2018, 06:37:32 PM

As the hunters came into view Ally fell silent, hardly daring to breathe. It was only once they'd seemed to determine their prey had escaped and began to amble away that she let out a shaky sigh of relief, her forelegs relaxing just slightly under her wait.

"Is...that it? Are we safe?"

Kingfisher · September 11, 2018, 06:07:27 PM

The assassin hissed for quiet. Waiting another long moment, he allowed the demon to fade back to the other world. There was little more they could do but hope the goons or the demon hunter did not return. They could not return to town with Alleaya in her current state and at the moment, Samuel was useless in a fight.

"Stay quiet," the man ordered. "Let the change run its course." His patience was growing short. Dragon shifting seemed like an interesting gift but without some degree of control, it was a liability above all else.

Slumping against a tree, the man seemed to stare through the dragon as he waited, whether for their chance to run for safety or one of their impending deaths. He slipped the ingredients from their containers, in case the hunter found them first...

DragonSong · September 17, 2018, 01:06:17 PM

Ally snapped her mouth shut-- both at his urging, and to stifle a sudden, sharp cry of pain as her body began to twist and warp and shrink.

She took a deep breath, then another, then she was stumbling forward on two legs, collapsing to her knees as her body just folded in on itself and she panted, digging her fingers into the grass. Almost immediately she began to shiver, wrapping her arms around herself in an effort to preserve some warmth.

Kingfisher · September 24, 2018, 09:32:00 AM

Samuel watched as Allaeya's energy surged inward, form collapsing into the shape of a human. Given the circumstances, he might have thanked the gods but they were in a hurry and hardly out of the woods...in more ways than one.

Seeing the girl shiver, the assassin wished he had brought more than a short mantle. Still, he unhooked the short garment, slipping it of as he rose. His coat came off as well, pulled up over his head and the demonlord tossed it to his guest. His red vest was still on but now fully visible, helping, preventing Allaeya from being scandalized.

"Put that on," he ordered. "Hurry. They missed us once but they might double back.". And he did not have the strength to fight...

DragonSong · October 01, 2018, 07:11:51 PM

The once-dragon nodded quickly, throwing the coat over her body as she staggered to her feet, still trembling.

"We need to get back to your house," she whispered, wide-eyed and shivering like a startled doe.

Kingfisher · October 10, 2018, 04:58:58 PM

Samuel gave a painned grunt in agreement. Enough time had been wasted waiting and now they were fully defenseless. The mage had recovered, though only slightly as his demon's shuddering subsided. Grasping for the girl's arm, he made for the relative safety of the city, shedding the rapidly declining cover of the woods.

The way was not long but it was slow, so as to avoid making noise to draw their pursuers. It unnerved him that he had not seen another hint of the demon hunter, as though they had given up the chase long ago. Thank the gods for small favors...

If all went well, the pair of fugitives might reach the assassin's home unmolested.

DragonSong · October 15, 2018, 07:22:50 PM

Unsure what else she should-- or really could-- do, Ally followed Samuel closely, hugging his coat tight around her form. Bare feet padded almost silently over the cobblestones, and she winced a few times as loose stones jabbed at that soles of her feet.

Kingfisher · October 19, 2018, 04:52:32 PM

The pair moved rapidly, largely unseen. Zantaric was an odd place full of self absorbed people. The few people they passed paid the pair little mind as before they eventually reached the assassin's home. Even if they had an interest, the girl's slightly disheveled appearance might have sold them on a different theory...

Once the thick wooden door was bolted, Samuel released Allaeya's arm, giving his own exhausted sigh as he fell against a nearby chair. "At least we kept the supplies," he said inwardly. For the time being, he did not have the energy to try again.

A nagging feeling told him to expand his cellar all the same.

DragonSong · October 26, 2018, 07:54:03 PM

Allaeya practically collapsed to the floor, panting and shivering. The change of form had taken a lot out of her-- more than usual it seemed, for some reason.

"Right. Supplies," she gasped out, wrapping her arms around herself and huddling deeper into Samuel's coat.

Kingfisher · October 31, 2018, 07:03:58 PM

The assassin allowed himself to calm down, checking the state of his familiar briefly. As expected, it was still shivering, aftereffects of the traumatic injury. It would draw from his strength gradually, rebuilding itself, repairing its damage over the next few days. Already, Samuel bore a telltale craving for raw meat through his link with the beast.

But that could wait. Turning back to the still disoriented girl, tightly hugging the fabric of his long robe close to her. It would to to check on her. Shifting from his seat, the man slid close. "Are you gonna be all right?" he asked. "Did you want something to eat? Drink for your nerves?" He had a small stash of whiskey he could share, and made toward his larder.

DragonSong · November 04, 2018, 01:27:14 PM

"Maybe...some food?" She looked up at him with an almost sheepish smile, eyes seeming a little sunken into her pale face. "Sometimes changing like that can be really draining..."

Kingfisher · November 09, 2018, 07:44:24 PM

Offering a brief glance toward the girl, Samuel shrugged and started to sort out his food stock. He had a moment of privacy though and took up the leather wrapped decanter, pouring a shot into a nearby glass. It had tremendous bit, burning all the way down. He was tempted to take more, for medicinal purposes, almost told himself but quickly recapped the vessel.

Collecting the pot from earlier, the oddly proficient homemaker began to pile together ingredients for a midday stew. He still had most of a pale wheel of hard cheese and sliced of a wedge, gathered with a batch of dry biscuits an the same small platter as the other day.

He set the stew pot over the cold hearth, striking sparks from a piece of steel saw the flame returning to life. As the stew cooked, the smell of barley and wild greens filling the small room, Samuel returned to Allaeya, offering her on of the dry biscuits and a cup of water.

DragonSong · November 17, 2018, 01:48:53 PM

"Th-thanks." The alchemist took the offered food and drink gratefully, quickly guzzling the water before she took a couple cautious nibbles of the biscuit. "Is, um... Your arm, I mean, is it--? Are you alright?"

Kingfisher · November 24, 2018, 07:12:33 PM

Samuel was standing over his hearth, watching his stew as it began to simmer. The girl's question brought his attention back to his still aching, black arm. It continued to shiver as hit recovered, sucking nutrients from its willing host. The assassin almost shot Allaeya an irritated glance for exposing him to danger but he quickly dropped his disinterested mask back into place as he responded. "I'll recover. Do not worry."

Lunch cooked quickly and the host brought out a pair of bowls, offering one to the alchemist after he filled it befor serving himself and dropping into his seat...

For the life of him, he found this girl perplexing. For all the power she had, she seemed to loathe her gift. Her inability to master and contol it seemed proof of that. Instead, she was going out of her way to destroy that power. Samuel could only hope the book was worth the trouble.

DragonSong · December 02, 2018, 05:52:09 PM

"I, ah..." Alleaya swallowed, picking listlessly at her food. "I'm sorry," she murmured after a few moments, almost inaudible. "If I were...I mean, if I could just...you shouldn't have had to--"

She sighed. "Sorry."

Kingfisher · December 12, 2018, 10:09:28 AM

The assassin stared at the human-dragon for a moment. Before long, he made a show of waving off the girl's concern as he repeated his earlier sentiment. "I'm fine, really."

Samuel returned to his own meal, quickly finishing half his stew before speaking again. "After you eat, we can get to work on that book of yours." He had meant it to sound like a question, but it came out much harsher than expected.