In the Wake of Giants

Raban’s smile somehow made Janine smile, even just a little. She never expected this to happen, really - making a man smile. She felt herself blushing - Janine prayed to God that he couldn’t see a blush under colored skin. But he must’ve been relieved, and to be honest, she was too. It would've only been a matter of time before someone would come in and see them. Together. But now she was in her human form, she didn’t have too much to worry about… except for the whole bleeding out and rushing to get better situation. Her head was laid down on the floor as Raban went to go do something.

She gave a childish whine when told that she couldn’t sleep yet. “But it sounds so nice right now,” she mused with a slight cough. She thought about what he said and snorted a little. “I’m not exactly sure about me giving it my all….. It felt as if my other half was doing the last bit for me,” Janine muttered. She thought about how close she was to passing out - she had felt the remaining bits of her consciousness fading away - she knew she did. It felt as if she was going to go to sleep in the middle of the battle. But her other half just retaliated regardless of what was happening to her. She couldn’t recall a time when that happened before. She’d never gotten herself this hurt to test what her absolute physical limits were.

Either way, she was happy that she survived the attack from the dragon. She barely heard Raban’s voice apologize to her before she turned her head curiously, as if asking why. But then the pain registered and she clenched her teeth, grunting and hissing in pain. After a short pant. She looked down at her wounds - it looked as if they were the wounds of a mouse that got clawed by cats. She huffed and looked up to Raban at the same time as he looked up to her, and she gave a pained smile. The pain made her breath so weird and raspy, and she had to breath shorter breaths so she wouldn’t move her wound too much. She mentally snarled at the wounds that bled out so much, and hated feeling so vulnerable. Thanks to all the moving she had done before changing back into a human, Janine felt herself even weaker than she was the first time - but she felt safer with Raban, so it was okay. But just a little.

When Raban told her to wrap her arms around his neck, she complied. She reached up, wincing when her movements shot up the pain in her side, her eyes closing as she did so. Don't stop, she repeated in her head. After a few stumbles, Janine got up. She panted a little before looking to Raban, her head tilting to the side a little at his plan. “Home? With my mom? Oh god, she’ll have a panic attack…. Why can’t we just - mmph - go to the Order infirmary? Surely the others will wonder where I am? And Sir Kiegal will be concerned if I’m gone for more than a day or two without probable cause. With whatever destruction the dragons have done, he’s gonna want everyone to be available to help the people for a short while,” Janine stated. Sir Kiegal was adamant about the Order’s contribution to their general public to whatever city they protect. Help whenever it’s needed, doing the right thing, even when it was hard, that kind of thing. He said it helped build better Knights, and build character, as both warriors and as people. While she appreciated the sentiment, she sometimes disliked being nice to people when they were rude in the first place. She didn’t believe they deserved respect if they didn’t give it equally. But she supposed that was why he reminded the Order those morals in the first place.

But even then, it was just a matter of raising suspicion. What if someone saw them, and wanted to interfere? What if another Knight somehow saw them, and told Sir Kiegal? Wouldn’t Raban have to tell the truth? She didn’t want him to lie continuously for her. Especially when there was this lurking Hunter. She growled at the mere thought of him at this point.

“And besides, we can’t raise suspicion. That Greaves is still in the city, and he’ll be here a while. We can’t rouse anymore suspicion anymore than we already have. What if he sees us?” Janine pointed out. She looked back to the chair that was smashed to bits. Something that she was rather happy to aid in. “That chair will not be the only thing he will pay attention to. I’m sure he’ll have other things to showcase…. But at least it won’t be the chair,” Janine said with a small smile. Out of all that had happened today, she was happy to know that the chair wouldn’t be one of the numerous problems on their list. She shuddered at the thought of being his target of suspicion. Her feelings went out to Raban, who now had to be on his guard even twice as usual, until this whole thing died down. If that would even be possible.
 
In truth, his heart was hammering and it was just as well he was used to being able to maintain the fine balance between his duty and his emotions. He could feel the instincts of the wolf under his skin growl and shift with the dislike of being humbled so by the dragon before and having been unable to aid Janine in the fight. Raban had known that with so much suspicion riding the air as thick as it had been shown today, he could not affort that. He had to remain as human as possible. He could feel frustration, anger, fear all riding a wave inside the box in which he kept his emotions within his mind but he flat out refused to give them the time right now.

Raban chuckled slightly and nodded in understanding, "Sure it does, but you'll get the chance soon enough. I promise." Pain and exhaustion often caused sleepiness and a strong desire to do so but with her injuries, he wasn't sure sleep was entirely wise. He was not an expert in the medicinal field so he had erred on the side of precaution. He didn't want her getting worse. He was aware he could be entirely wrong too but he wanted to play that 'just in case' card. He grunted, understanding that too as he smiled at her, sorting out what he had to. "We're both predatory by nature. We don't go down without a fight in the mix and that lights a fire beneath our butts whether the human part gives a damn or not," that was something the both of them held in common, but it rang truer enough for himself when he was denied his self control. He was all beast at those times but perhaps today she had been as good as close to that.

"We all do what we have to do to survive,"

He spoked with a gladness that he didn't try to hide from her or himself. He shifted as she put her arms round him, lifting her in a bridal fashion, bracing his legs for a moment to make sure he didn't fall over. It was another reason for wanting her to change back before she could properly rest. He would not have been able to get her out in her true form. They had already proved that before.

Raban gave a pause as she spoke and he hesitated as he listened to her. His hearing kept tabs on the sounds from around them. He could hear the shifting of Venus, moving rubble that hadn't quite settled against gravity and the shouts of men from further afield. It sounded like they were getting a grasp of control over the situation at the other side. It wouldn't be long before Kiegel thought to check back this side and Raban wanted to make sure Janine was somewhere safe before then.

"You've done more than enough... You get to rest. Sides, you won't be able to help anyone till you've healed," he answered as he considered the options. Her mother was right to be afraid and worry for her daughter's health but Raban didn't think her one to lose her head so easily. Not from what he had seen from her at least.

"I'm still wary of that damned Matron, but I suppose you're right in that in the least. This will hurt, I think, but I'll try and make sure the hurt isn't too much," he eventually reached. That Matron had been suspicious of him from his own time there. It had been an effort to stop himself from healing too fast. It had largely meant staying awake for as long as possible but even that wasn't completely enough. He couldn't entirely hold back his faster healing rate simply because that was just naturally a part of him. He could imagine it would be similar for Janine, he wasn't sure how fast she healed up but he could bet it was still faster than the average human. He was also suspicious that the nosy matron had informed Sir Kiegel of just how much faster he seemed to have gotten better.

"Sir Kiegel can't use Knights wounded beyond use, I'm sure he'll give you a pass. He'd want you to survive," he added, he was sure in that, from a human point of view. Kiegel was an experienced Knight of some forty years plus and was a good man to have in battle. He had a way of commanding men and women alike with an absolute confidence and surety that boosted morale. Kiegel knew how to get the best out of those under his command and Raban would be sure he would rather suffer a temporary loss of a Knight in one fight if that Knight could then survive to fight in more down the road. He looked after his men. Course, Kiegel didn't know that two of his 'men' were not human at all. Raban prayed it remained that way or if he did learn the truth, he hoped Kiegel would exercise an open mind or something.

Janine mirrored his current thought as it progressed onto Greaves and that damned chair. He had been so close to giving the game away through no fault of his own and he sighed as he began moving towards the direction of the infirmary. He had to go the long way round but it didn't bother him so long as they got there. "He has the look of one who has exposed my kin before," he agreed tightly, the whole matter was enough to leave him nervous and wary because no two hunters were alike and they were often unpredictable. They had to be to be able to hunt what they did and were often colder as a result.

"I'm not sorry about the chair," he agreed vehemently. He was glad it was thrashed to pieces just as much as he was pleased to leave the unpleasant tingly feeling the silver was causing as he had been seeing to her wounds.

"But one step at a time, Janine. You need these wounds seen to immediately, so infirmary for you. I'll see about Kiegel and what's going on, and the rest," he explained as he moved swiftly through the way to the Order's Infirmary where no doubt others would already be waiting or being seen to. It was often not the dragon or beast itself to be the cause of an injury but the matter that it crashed into that lay at the root.

"Mind if I borrow Venus?" he asked in a way that seemed to also ask whether the mare would even let him on her back. She had done so once but that had been under somewhat different circumstances. Besides, he disliked assuming and preferred to ask.
 
Janine sighed when Raban carried her. It still hurt, her side, and she suddenly had the worry of accidentally bleeding on him. Such a trivial thought, but it was still there. But of course, that didn’t matter. She turned her head as Raban carried her outside, watching the remaining rubble with wariness so they wouldn’t catch them off guard. She couldn't trust that whatever was left of the building wouldn’t fall on them, and she wouldn’t want to get even more hurt on the account of some fallen rubble.

She gave a content sigh when Raban considered taking her to the infirmary, instead of her mother’s house. She wasn’t a proper nurse, and she wanted to make sure that she’d be properly bandaged. Not that she doubted Raban’s and her mother's tender nursing, she just really did not want to make a mess at her own house. Her mom could just walk to the infirmary if she really wanted to see her. Even if she wouldn’t lose her damn mind, Janine was sure that the amount of times she’ll be visited by her mom will be countless; she might as well be tended at her own home. She chuckled at the thought of her mother making multiple visits in one day, just to make sure she was fed properly. And yet, the idea also annoyed her, which in itself was amusing.

“Suspicious? Of you? Oh, your healing speed. I don't like her for other reasons. She thought I was some sort of.... Of... woman who just does things with men. She made be really frustrated that day I went to visit you. She better not say anything smart about me while I'm there.... But don't worry, I don't think I heal as fast as you. Funny, that sounded less negligent in my head. In any case, I'll be in bed for much longer; this can be a blessing in disguise,” Janine said with a hopeful voice. No use sounding constantly worried right?

“I suppose you’re right. Sir Kiegal isn’t a negligent man. I’d stopped working for the Order a long time ago if that was the case,” Janine remarked. The fact that he’d want any wounded knight to survive calmed her worries a bit. She just hoped that nobody unwanted would visit her when she’d least expect it. She laughed at his remark about the chair, which made her groan remorsefully when the pain shot across her body.

“Oww… I’m not sorry about the chair either. But you say that he’s done this sort of thing before? Exposed you kind before?” Janine asked in a more hushed tone of voice. While her hearing was better than normal humans, she’d have her moments where her thoughts overshadowed any outside stimulus. It was when she focused on one thing in particular. She’d have to work on that sort of thing, but she had yet to master picking out the more minute sounds. She was more keen on feeling vibrations on the ground, but she still had to practice with mastering that too. “So I’m assuming that we haven’t seen the last of the tools that might expose them huh?” She asked warily.

Raban then asked for Venus. She blinked in confusion, then ducked her head in his neck shamefully. Yes, Chestnut. “Umm, sure. Of course.” Janine said slowly. She looked back out to the world and called for her a few times. Eventually, the neighs of Venus called back out to her, and the black mare ran over to the two Knights with haste. She was still wary of the whole area, but she still walked up to the two with soft snorts. The moment she saw Janine, Venus made a small squeal, and sniffed her body with rough snorts. She must’ve smelled the blood. She even began to nose at her side, which made Janine clench her teeth together with a choked hiss. “Ack! Venus, I know what this - ah! - looks like. Just calm down, please? Turn around, already,” Janine asked as nicely as she could. The mare bared her flat teeth and snorted at her - which sounded like something along the lines of irritation. Janine huffed back. “Okay, I just said turn around. No need to get huffy,” Janine snorted back.
 
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He was glad when they were eventually free of the danger that the building might collapse on them. It would be rather inglorious for her to have survived a dragon's assault only for them to be smushed by falling masonry. He frowned slightly, no doubt the masons in Amastad would do well out of the repairwork. Kiegel would surely see to that soon as he could. Raban focused on his footing, not keen in the least to trip and land her into further problems. He was focusing on her in his own way. After a fashion she made up for the loss of Chestnut's presence in his mind. He was not worried about his demonic friend but he was just used to having her constantly there.

Raban glanced down at her as he moved, the clink of his armour sounding with every stride. "Interesting to know. Rest will do you good. Extra rations at least, " he grinned boyishly. There were some perks to being a Knight of the Order that were good to hand. He nodded, Kiegel was certainly anything but negligent. If anything, he often went a little too out of his way for his men. He supposed that he might have retired too if the man were as negligent but then Raban would be without purpose. The Order had given structure, life and meaning to him and owed it a lot as much as he had owed Cadfael. Without it, he was just a damned soul wandering aimlessly.

Her laugh was good to the ears and he smiled appreciatively as he moved, "Easy."

"I'm not sure, but he looks prepared. Too prepared. The fact he had the chair proves that. Knows exactly what he's hunting... That's a not a chair for a vampire, put it that way," he muttered, not wanting to talk too loudly about it. It wouldn't do to get caught. He glanced down at her again and sighed softly, shaking his head.

"Never met him before. Seen others, and one fan afoul of me once before but that was a long time ago. They don't hang about, they'll use any means they can to route out their prey. They have to really. Some creatures they hunt can go several centuries without being discovered. Especially higher vampires,"

"I'd say that was a safe bet to assume. I don't think we'll be seeing the last of him. He's already shown he's knowledgeable enough to know of Werekind's wekpoints," he frowned. He didn't like to think if this Greaves knew of demon weakpoints too. It wasn't worth him thinking about right now.

He nodded gratefully, it would slower going by his own steam but with Venus it would cut time in half. Janine called for the mare and he paused before the telltale sound of plodding hooves heralded the mare's arrival. Raban smiled at the horse before the beast nosed about her owner, clearly distressed at it worked out Janine was not in a good way. Venus did not seem happy and Raban could not blame her. Chestnut was the same way whenever he got seriously hurt. She had been so cross when he had been in that chair unable to escape the driving pain.

"It's all right. I'm still carrying you. Movement on horseback won't help the pain much and could jostle something worse," he said. "Besides, we're not too far now, see?" he gestured with his jaw towards the Infirmary since his hands were otherwise occupied. He looked back to Venus for a moment before looking back to Janine as he continued on towards the Infirmary, trusting the horse to at least follow them on.

"This town isn't exactly the easiest to run across by your own steam," he added with explanation.
 
"Sleep is the best thing on my mind right now. Sleeping nowadays is almost a damn chore,” Janine remarked. Between thinking about what might happen the next day, what with the possibility of dragon attacks, hunter inquiries, and mysterious enemies spying on her and Raban at every turn, sleeping was difficult. Sure she was tired in the morning, but thankfully the sunlight and being with Raban helped keep the days bearable. Not to mention how almost each day since being with Raban had been some sort of adventure, whether it was dangerous or not. She chuckled to herself, her head resting on Raban’s shoulders as they continued onward.

“Hmmm, extra rations of bread. Admittedly filling, but I prefer my fill of meat.” Janine mused. “And I didn’t become a Knight for infirmary perks,” Janine said with a mischievous smirk, “I don’t even like being hurt. Pain is something I’d like to avoid. As much as possible at least. But it will be nice,” she continued.

When Greaves was mentioned again, her smile immediately changed into a concerned frown. “He already sounds more dangerous when you put it that way. Let’s just hope he at least still doesn’t suspect you after all this is over. You aren’t hurt, and you had lasted for a good while before the attack. Maybe he’ll overlook you. Of course, that could be giving us too much hope for such a little possibility,” Janine said with a worried sigh. She had her moments in being negative, but for some reason, she wanted to be hopeful for Raban’s sake.

She sighed and looked to Venus as she nickered nervously. The black mare complied, for now, but she still kept taking glances back at Raban and Janine, as if checking to see if they were alright. At that moment, a specific distant roar was heard, making Venus shuffle with a nervous whinny. Janine, who had her eyes half closed, perked up and glanced around nervously. In the distance, towards the direction of the forest, was that horrid roar that nearly deafened both Knights, echoing across the land with the same amount of fierceness as before. Janine absentmindedly hisses a challenge, but otherwise kept herself quiet for the most part. The thing that made her bare her teeth a little were the shouts of men that followed it. Did the Knights go after the dragon? Why? How did they know about it?

Towards the left there was a huge billow of dust, in the general direction of the fields. The shouts of Knights could also be heard in that direction as well. Perhaps they were dealing with the dragon there?

Janine tried to see the infirmary in the distance, but her vision was suddenly blurry. She tried to see properly, but her head began spinning and she held her grip as tightly as she could against Raban. “I don’t mean to…. Bother you, but…. I can’t see the building very well... Are you cold? I’m getting colder…. Is there a breeze?” Janine asked with an even more tired voice than before. “I feel colder. I don’t do well in the cold. Did I ever tell you that?” Janine slurred a little. She began to shiver violently due to her feeling the sudden chill, despite the pain it was giving her. A snarl flew out her mouth before she groaned in pain, and she struggled to keep her eyes open.

“I know you told me to stay awake but…. I… can’t… too…” Janine’s voice wavered into silence and her grip around his neck weakened until her hands and arms were limp around him. Venus turned her head at the same moment and noticed her owner was not talking or moving. She gave a shrill cry before rearing up, hooves scraping at air before she made panicked movements beside Raban.
 
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"And yet it solves a lot. Even humans heal faster when they sleep. Body doesn't have to do twice so much at one time," he murmuered as he strode for the infirmary, wary of the Matron and everyone else inside that would be tending to his friend and fellow Knight.

He snorted and nodded, neither of them did it seemed. The Order had become the structure of his entire life and the only times he left it was to go and get himself away from the changes he could not control to minimise the loss of life. "Take what you can get, Janine. Get your strength back. That's the important thing," he affirmed, wholly beleiving that you ciouldn't help anyone without ensuring you were fit to do so yourself.
Course, there were times he had broken that rule himself but he tried to keep to his code.

Raban glanced at her as she spoke of Greaves and a hope that the hunter didn't suspect him. Raban felt the hunter knew more than he was letting on, that he had seen the discomfort that Raban had tried to hide and recognised it for what it was but for some reason had yet not let that cat out of the bag. Perhaps the hunter wanted to get Raban all for himself. Some hunters were like that, beleiving others would simply get in their way. He didn't doubt Kiegel would try to. The Order was the Order after all. Their main objective was the security and safety of Amastad and its residents. Whether Kiegel would interfere once he knew what Raban was, well... That was entirely a different matter.

"I hope so too," he replied, not wishing to add further negativity to the situation. He wanted her to focus on getting better, not to be weighed down by worrying over Chestnut or for his own hide. Raban knew their friendship was evolving into attachment and a need to protect the other beyond a knowledge of what they both trully were. He carried on with a stubborn intent, hearing Venus nickering unhappily behind him as they went. There was that roar again, perhaps the Dragon had hurt itself getting through cover. He wasn't sure it was able to fly properly. He didn't care right now.

"Nearly there," he breathed before he felt her hands shift their grip even before she spoke and questioned. He looked at her and frowned, she looked worse than before and he cursed himself for not remembering to wrap her up. Blood loss caused shock and shock could make one feel colder. "You stay with me, Janine. Don't you fall asleep," but she shiverred against him as one who could not stop themselves from doing so. "Don't," He could see she was trying but her voice was weaker too by now. THis was not good.

"Janine, stay with me. Come on, girl," butr even with a firm command to his voice, her grip weakened completely and she went limp in his arms. "Dammit," he growled and he quickened his stride, even to the point of straining his leg muscles to do so. He held her tightly and close to him as he headed to the Infirmary. He barely glanced at Venus who seemed to sense that her human was in more trouble or at least unresponsive.

"Stay with me, Venus. I'll get her there. Don't you fret," he tried to reassure the mare and he did not stop his speed of pace. So much so that it was an effort to stop his momentum in time to stop himself from plastering Janine into the wooden doors. He looked at Venus, "Stay here, girl. Gonna need you," he said before turning back around and awkwardly tried to open the door. It took a couple of tries before he managed it and headed inside, careful to not bash her head or legs on anything hard.

"Nurse!" he hollered, his voice bouncing off the stone walls. "Nurse!"

He ventured further in, trying to ascertain where the beds lays but there was a patter of feet quickly headed towards him and sure enough the Matron appeared. She paused as she took in the sight of Raban carrying a woman she had once slurred. For once however she did not question Janine's status as she took in the woman's injuries and the sight of blood that was coming from her and plastering Raban's armour.

"Follow me. Quickly now!" She commanded sternly and Raban didn't disobey, following her to a room in which lay a bed. "Lay her down, careful now," the woman instructed, quite used to bossing men around as much as her own nurses. The Matron stuck her head out the doorway as Raban followed the instruction as obediently as a domesticated hound, her shrill voice booming down the hallway, "Nurse Meier! Get here immediately, girl! And the supplies!"

There was an answering call of acknowledgement to Raban's ears as he stepped back, after brushing Janine's hair out of her face. The Matron looked at him and she must have caught his expression as she laid a hand to his shoulder, breaking his attention. "I'll see to her, don't you fret, lad. now, off with you. Go on, out!" she bustled him out before he could even lay a word of protest but he knew she was right to kick him out. He was not trained in the medicinal field and would only get in the way. He nodded, and headed back out the building to where Venus was stood.

He looed at the black mare waiting with nervousness in her steps. He moved towards her and went to gently hold the mare's head. "She'll be all right, girl. They'll look after her. You'll get her back again, Venus," he breathed words of encouragement. He was unsure if she understood him but he hoped his soft and reassuring tone would help.

"I need you to help me now okay. Gotta find out what the situation is on the other side and report in," he explained, feeling a little silly in doing so but he was entirely used to speaking to a horse albeit one who was also a demon. It made him feel a little better.
 
Several nurses rushed to Janine with haste after Raban was sent out. A couple of them went to take off her armor, and the others began to pull out cloths and liquids to begin cleaning wounds. Janine’s eyes were still closed, and her breathing was very shallow, so at least she was still alive, even if barely. Her breathing hitched when the liquid-covered swabs and cloths to clean the dried blood from her body, and eventually began to clean inside her wounds. The nurses did their best to make sure she was still breathing while they worked, and they worked tirelessly in their endeavor to make her recover.

~~~~~~~~

Five Minutes ago...​


The dragon limped away slowly, growling with a mixture of irritation and pain. That strange horse had done him some damage, and that female Knight was even worse. Was she even human? He was sure that the male Knight that he saw and smelled was familiar… Too familiar. Maybe…. No, this wasn’t the time to think about humans. He growled lowly as he looked down at the horse in his jaws, happy to have at least gotten something out of his trouble. He knew that he’d be too hurt to hunt efficiently, so he took the horse to ensure he had some sort of sustenance while on the way home. But was the horse worth the pain he’s dealing with? He wanted to destroy the den that sheltered the dreaded humans that wore their silver scales…. But it seemed to be empty. No matter, he destroyed it regardless, but at the cost to his health. He didn't want to admit it, but the possibility of dying was overwhelming. He was just lucky that none of the others had come in when he was retreating. No doubt still dealing with that other dragon. Just a mere distraction that seemed to still be working in his favor. He wanted to bet that the majority of the humans didn’t even know of his presence, since they were so focused on the other flying beast.


He growled in pain again, as his body was beginning to betray him. Ever since that female human(?)... creature bit him, he felt this tingling in his body. The tingling then progressed into a burning pain, almost as bad as the burning wound he suffered in his leg. He’d been dealing with this burning pain for several minutes now, ever since he retreated into the forest. At this point, his movements were getting more and more sluggish, and his joints were showing signs of locking up to some extent.

Damgar….

His tail was beginning to tingle and slow down. Was he…. Becoming paralyzed? What the actual Drakell was happening to him?! But now that he could recall, the creature that the female Knight turned into did remind him of a snake. Was she in fact venomous? No matter, he had to find a place to take shelter, or else risk becoming a target himself.

Suddenly, he heard the thundering sounds of horses galloping through the forest.

“We’re coming for you, you foul beast!” somebody shouted.

The dragon snarled as he turned his head. With a snort, he lowered the horse down between his feet as he summoned the remaining reserves of his strength. No way was he going to let them get to him without a fight! Even when he was at his weakest he was still deadly. He counted about five humans on horseback - and two of them were Knights…. How wonderful. While most counted five humans or five horses, he counted ten morsels of sustenance. He needed more food to help recover, and this would lessen his worry for hunting while injured like this. He wasn’t too picky when it came to survival. He turned around with a snarl, waiting for the men to get close enough to be in range. He couldn’t waste energy swiping at everybody, so he decided to just take them all out in one swoop. When all were accounted for, he let in a huge inhale, chest expanding until they couldn’t take in anymore oxygen, and then let out his deafening shriek of a roar. The humans shouted and reeled in pain, and they were so distracted trying to protect their ears from the pain, that they couldn’t see their incoming doom. One by one, the dragon skewered the humans and their horses, killing them in singular blows. He stopped the roar and took a giant breath, panting heavily as his enemies were disposed of. He took a human or two in his jaws and tossed them in his mouth, swallowing them whole before he looked at his situation as a whole. He had food now, so he wasn’t worried about starving himself at the moment. Humans were so foolish, they didn’t seem to know when they were safe. But he was still a bit worried about shelter. Being exposed like this wasn’t wise in the least, even as a dragon. And it was most especially true as being one of many enemies - it meant that one couldn’t let their guard down.

But… His limbs seemed to have plans on their own. The dragon growled in irritation, gathering all the new kills closer to the first horse he injured before damn near collapsing to the ground. He felt every limb in his body burn fiercely before numbing and eventually grow unresponsive to his bodily commands. So he was becoming paralyzed…. How infuriating. His last action before succumbing to the venom coursing through his veins was extending a wing over his kills. His holey wing covered the horses and humans laying beside him before the dragon growled softly and stilled himself.

~~~

Present​


Venus snorted and stomped on the ground as she waited for someone, anyone to come out. Her human was in there, but her human friend carried her inside! Where was he? Soon, he did come out - he was covered in the scent of his rider, but she wasn’t out either. She snorted with worry until the man grabbed at her reins and stroked her neck and head. It was comforting, but she was still rather worried. She’d never seen Janine so…. Weak. She snorted, hoping that her friend was right. His soft voice helped a little though, so she was appreciative of that. The man then asked for her to accompany him. Him? Ride her again? Venus snorted a little, but she figured it wouldn’t be too bad. No vicious wolves chasing them right? She tossed her head up and down before letting him mount her. With a whinny, Venus raced down the streets of Amastad, carrying her human’s friend on her back. She looked back at the building she left for a moment, but quickly faced forward, not wanting to trip and fall while running at high speeds.
 
Venus did not seem completely against him riding her again, perhaps surprised or resigned, he wasn't sure. but he was still grateful the horse was will. "Thank you, girl," he breathed before he placed his foot in the stirrup and pulled himself up into the saddle. He knew he was heavier than what she was perhaps used to what with his armour as opposed to the last time he had been on her her back, but it didn't seem to worry her. He gave her her head as they sped down streets and past the destruction that the dragon had wrought.

He was worried for Janine, for Chestnut, for a lot of things and they were flying about his brain in no real direction or order. He prayed she would get better soon, feeling very disjointed from things himself. He frowned as they sped along, with his directions at the reins. He shook his head, he couldn't lose it now.

He sought out Kiegel, finding the Knight with others but something looked wrong. There was damage at the surrounding wall to the city where something big had pushed through. It was no longer there, it seemed to have decided that it was no longer worth the effort of trying to get in. Kiegel and the others must have done enough to drive it off.

Raban frowned, his senses picking up on the fact that something was wrong. He couldn't hear what he knew he should be hearing. There was not enough horses or the shouts of men.

"Dammit... they went after it," Kiegel muttered as he moved to join Raban as the Knight brought Venus to a standstill. He could feel Venus shift beneath him, not entirely used to the movements or back of a smaller horse. "You fit to join us and investigate?" the old man looked and took Raban in for the first time, noting the blood and the sight of Raban on a horse that was not his own. There was no mistaking Venus and the lack of her usual rider just as much in the same way that Raban was renowned for his warhorse with a high spirited nature than the Knight never seemed to train out of the quadruped.

"Everything all right, Raban?"
"Janine... sh-she's heavily wounded, Sir. Matron's seeing to her now. The big one took Chestnut before it left. It's injured, won't be coming back for a while, I should think. Hopefully," he explained in a heavy feeling. He didn't want to go into too much detail. How were they going to explain away the dragon's injuries? That had crossed his mind on the ride to Kiegel as well.

"Damn, I hope the girl makes it. I'm sorry about your horse," Kiegel nodded.
"Thank you, Sir. What's the situation here?"
"Young one, tried to get lucky, I suppose. I was about to send more men to aid you when the big one came but the young one made things tricky. Seems I didn't need to after all," Kiegel replied, sounding perplexed.

The Order commander turned and fetched his own horse, assigning men tasks as he walked. A few others joined them whilst others nodded and saw to aiding whatever civilians that hadn't quite made it to the safety bunkers. No doubt they'd scour through the city and lend aid where they could. Kiegel pulled his gelding next Venus and nodded at Raban. "Come on, let's go recall our men,"

Raban nodded and followed the 'older' Knight out of the city to see what had happened to those who had chased after the big beast that the old storyteller had called a nightmare. The man hadn't been wrong and Raban did not have a good feeling about this. Nothing about today had felt great. He faultered slightly in the saddly, it was not what he was used to riding or used to in general. It was a little time before they caught up with the rest of the Order.

"What in the..." Kiegel muttered so quietly that Raban was sure he was the only one with hearing acute enough to pick up on it. There was no mistaking the surprise and Raban couldn't fault the man. The dragon was colossal, rising from the ground as if a dragon-shaped rock, a wing laying outwards. There was no immediate sight of the men or their horses or even his own Chestnut but he could smell them. Raban could smell the individual scents and the thickness of blood in the air and he winced. The men had foolishly raced into their deaths. Even gravely injured, the massive beast proved dangerous and most beasts were when they were wounded. The need to survive made death throws all that much more dangerous.
 
Venus shifted nervously as she was being led into the forest. Here we go again. She normally didn’t mind going into the forest with her human, Janine, but lately, danger had been afoot with every other time she’d gone in. Thankfully, she was never a target, but it was still stressful nonetheless….. Oh no… There was that one time where she was being chased by those wolves…. And the time where she was actually hurt by an even bigger wolf… Wasn’t it the man riding her? She should buck him off. But her human liked this one, and he was nice enough to her, despite being a man. He also gave her big juicy apples, so he was already good in her eyes. She supposed that the human would still be good enough for her human and herself.

But the moment she and her rider stumbled upon the giant monster that attacked her not even an hour ago, she whinnied in nervousness and stomped on the ground repeatedly. Why were they going after this thing?! They had to go back! She snorted and took a glance at Raban with a hard huff. Why?!

~~~~~~​

The dragon’s muscles and limbs were still terribly numb. Thankfully, the wounds had long stopped bleeding, or else he’d have major problems. His shoulder still hurt from the sword blade that entered it, as did his leg. He’d really have to tend to those when he got back to his territory. And he had a long way to go. Even if he was fully healthy and not injured in the slightest, the journey back home from this city still took a good while to get there. And that would just be getting to the edges of the territory. But now that he was limping on basically two limbs and two half-limbs, travel will be near impossible. Maybe he just had to power through it… No, he couldn’t afford to be so careless. It was carelessness that got him in this situation in the first place.

There had to be a good place to take refuge until he was better. Come on, think!

Suddenly, the footsteps of horses echoed into his ears. More humans!? Now? Didn’t they have something else to do? This was not good at all. If the humans found his makeshift stash of food, he’d surely have to find food out in the forest. Humans, like many dragons, seemed to favor burying their dead instead of leaving them alone. It puzzled him, but he wasn’t going to do anything about that. Fresh meat suited him best. But this? This was survival. This was his only means of food until he got better, and he refused to let anything get in the way of that.

At this very moment, he had to be on guard. His life was on the line again, and he had to be able to take notice of movement at a breath’s notice. He just needed to be able to move again.

And then he'd make them wish he'd kill them quicker.
~~~~~~~~​

Keigal tried not to look it, but he was very wary. And there were very few times he was openly hesitant about something. He did recall the rather recent legends of a large dragon who killed almost every Knight that encountered it. And he wanted this foul beast to be eradicated - but he just wasn’t willing to be the one who let his entire squadron foolishly race to their deaths, even though it seemed to be happening anyway, whether he gives the command to chase the beast down or not! He still had yet to actually determine the best way to dispose of the beast, given how deadly it's proven to be.

… Maybe this was the best time to...? No, he had just heard the beast roaring not even ten minutes ago. This had to be a trap. He looked back and told Raban to stay back.

He slowly got off his horse and approached the dragon from the outer fringes of its wings. He stepped lightly and cautiously, his hand on the scabbard to draw his sword at a moment’s notice. When he got up to the dragon's face, he stepped just around the corner and was shocked to see the dragon’s eyes half lidded. He jumped a bit, startled at the eye that was looking at him, but not actually moving. Backing away a few feet, he drew his sword at the dragon, expecting it to get on its feet and attack…. But it didn’t. He stepped forward and kicked the dragon. Then poked it with the tip of the sword. Then sliced a little of the wing with his sword. Blood came out, but the dragon didn’t move. Was it actually dead? No way it was dead…. He would’ve been impressed if Raban and his female partner actually wounded it to the point where it actually died from its wounds, but even to him that was wishful thinking. But if that wasn’t the case, why wasn’t the beast attacking him? Or anybody else? Was it asleep?

He slowly stepped up to the extended wing, wondering what was under it. What he saw made his gasp loudly.

“Good God. Raban! Come here,” Keigal called out.
 
Raban was nervous and was not happy about getting so close to danger once again. He was on a horse that was far more skittish than he was normally faavourable of but he knew Venus had good reason to be wary. The forest had not been a place where nothing had happened to one or both or any of them. Still, Kiegel needed him here it seemed and duty was a part of his life and structure. He could not forego that acceptance. The dragon rose on the horizon like a vision of impending doom and yet there was something off. He could tell as such from this distance. Something was not quite right. He glanced as Venus turned her head, looking up at him accusingly. He leaned forwards, feeling the shift in her frame, and gently patted her neck, "Easy girl. I know," he understood, why would anything want to get close to this monstrosity but the horse would have to trust in him. "I owe you a few apples, I know," he murmuered quietly to Venus, hoping that would help ease her skittishness.

There was no reasonable way he could tell Kiegel that his Knights and their steeds were all dead. That would equally raise question about himself but he couldn't entirely hide the grimace in his jawline and mouth. He was about to rise and dismount from the saddle before Kiegel's words halted his movement. He slowlely eased back into the seat of the saddle as he watched the other dismount and head towards the dragon's form. His unsatisfactory grimace continued to bear existence on his features even as he nodded with acknowledgement. He was wary but he couldn't disobey a direct command.

He, along with the rest who had joined them, watched as Kiegel got closer and closer. Too close by Raban's estimation or for his liking. Nothing was sitting right as he eyed the beast intensely. He sensed movement draw next to him and he glanced to eye another Knight line his horse with Venus. "Is he nuts?" the man muttered incredulously. The man was young, old enough to have experience but young enough to still wonder. Raban huffed slightly, he wondered the same.

"In some ways, lad. We all are," he replied in kind, eyes drawing back on the still form of the dragon. He didn't trust that it was dead. Raban sniffed the air, discerning the dragon's scent. He focused on it, reading the lines of the identity markers. It wasn't clear. There was no scent of decay, the deaths too recent for the smell to be noticeable yet.

Raban's head snapped towards Kiegel as he heard the man gasp and then call out. He flared a nostril, getting a feeling Kiegel had found what he had already scented and learned. He then dismounted Venus and looked as the others went to do the same. "No, stay mounted," he spoke firmly. If this dragon was still alive, then it could play its card without warning. It wouldn't do to have all the Knight's in danger by being too close without means of a faster getaway. They were too few to deal with this. Even wounded this dragon had proved deadly.

He moved and joined Kiegel's side, hand resting loosely around the hilt of his sword. He rested his gaze on what his Commander had discovered and the proof lay strewn in a roughly heaped pile of human and horseflesh. He could see Chestnut's head amongst the tangle of arms and legs. He hung his head for a moment, grimacing and frowning in a moment of momentary grief but soon he looked up again. He glanced towards the dragon briefly before he stepped closer, pulling at one Knight's corpse to turn the stricken man over. A stab wound stood out bloodied amidst the armour. They may have well just been wearing thin linen for all the protection the armour had served. But then, nothing could have withstood the claws of such a huge beast. He sighed and let go before he moved to inspect at one of the horses, just to ensure his theory was justified. Just like it's rider, the horse had not been spared, a large and gaping hole ran right through its large chest. It seemed to be the rule for all the corpses excpt for his shire.

"Skewered horse and man alike..." he spoke huskly as he stood up and rejoined Kiegel, eyeing the dragon warily as he thought of how they must have perished. So much death and it could have been prevented, perhaps more by common sense but it seemed bloodlust and the ception of bravery overuled such vices. "Must've used its roar to make them pause... Also seems to be more horse than Knight present..." he frowned, knowing what that meant already. The dragon was injured, it must have been heading for a place of safety. It had also taken Chestnut's body before it had committed this act and that meant it had wanted food. He knew with some creatures food was a way to help the body heal or replenish vitality. Vampires certainly did such when they were weak. Blood was the only way for them. Was the dragon the same? Why else would it have stockpiled the bodies and be covering it all with a wing?

With the dragon so close, Raban disliked every second they were stood here for but Kiegel was in command and thus would dictate what would happened. Raban did beleive the dragon to be dead. That would be far too convenient for them as a whole but why was it so still? Why wasn't it moving? Raban frowned as he thought it through and remembered that Janine's other form was serpentine and he knew pletny of snakes to be venomous. It stood to reason that she too could give a venomous bite but would that have been able to be the cause of its immobility? He was perplexed and curious by the mere notion of that possibility. He looked back to his senior, awaiting his reaction and response.
 
The dragon inwardly snarled as the humans drew closer to the dragon. His breathing was so shallow it was barely heard, but in the same vein, he wasn’t permitted to breathe like normal. But oh how much he wanted to kill these humans and their horses. And then the Knight slashed his wing. He practically burned with rage. Of all the little…. He was basically just asking to be stabbed. He felt as if he was a volcano about to explode. Just wait until he was able to move again.

Just… wait….

The more prey, the less he had to hunt. The body would never heal its fastest if it didn’t have anything to keep it going. That much he knew. But these humans had found his stash…. Would they be brave enough to take their dead back home with them? He mentally threatened them not to.

And then he saw him. The human that he last saw in the city. He was with this older human. The scent went into his nostrils and he mentally growled. Then it suddenly clicked in his mind. He was the human he had found deep in the forest a while back. He remembered the human to be hiding in a bush, and he nicked him with a claw. He would’ve attacked, but he didn’t want to lose the trail of his current quarry. It had to have been him. He also scented something else on the human. It was faint, but it was still there. It clung onto him even…. Why? It would be most intriguing, had he not been in the face of humans and at their literal mercy. He hated that feeling - being at the mercy of something else. Especially when they were as weak as humans.

Well. Clearly not all humans were weak…. His wounds would attest to that.

The humans drew closer to him, and he just felt so much anger building, he could just -

Tap

It was so sudden. He almost didn’t catch it - a soft thudding on the forest floor. Was… That his claw? His toe claw on the other foot? He tried to do it again, but it could barely lift it. He…. was becoming mobile again. Slowly, but surely. He wished he could move his eyes to see the fear in their eyes, but he’d have to wait. No worries; he could play the waiting game…. But in the meantime, he had to figure out where safety could be.

~~~~~~~​

Keigal sighed with a mixture of worry and frustration. Normally, he wouldn’t hesitate to take fallen comrades and whomever else and take them back to Amastad to be buried…. But this dragon is such a high-risk factor; he couldn't trust the dragon to be completely dead. But the lack of movement was obvious. Not even an eyeball was moving. No obvious breathing. So it had to be dead right? Common sense would conclude such observations, but his gut was telling him otherwise. After Raban inspected the corpses, he stepped a few feet back while making a decision. “I’d rather not have our fallen comrades and their horses to be left with this scaled demon… Or to even be picked on by scavengers. But I just don’t trust it…. We have to go back home. We still have a live dragon and a partially broken city to tend to. If this beast truly is dead, then it will still be here by nightfall. At nightfall, we’ll come back for our fallen brethren. Understand?” Keigal asked. The other knights nodded… But one seemed to be a little defiant.

“Sir? Why leave our Knight brothers to this monster? This thing has terrorized us, and we’re just going to leave it alone? We should have it chopped and burned, and buried in a pit somewhere far away!” the Knight exclaimed.

Keigal was taken aback a little, incredulous as to the tone he was being spoken to. “I beg your pardon? The sheer fact that this dragon’s been terrorizing this city is the very reason I’m leaving it here! In case you haven’t noticed, it has already wounded one of our own, killed about six or seven damn people since its reappearance, and that's not including the amount of our own horses that it’s thrown its damn claws through! I’m trying to save the rest of our Order, and apparently, going after it even while it is wounded is foolish to try. We should be considered lucky as hell to even be standing this close to the damn beast without begging for our lives, and you want to call the shots?!”

Everyone watched on in shock. It was almost unheard of that anybody would talk back on one of Sir Kiegal’s commands, and here was somebody here, challenging him in the face of a deadly dragon? Was he trying to fulfill a death sentence?

“I’m just saying that we should hurry up and make sure we kill the dragon, not leave it here in hopes of it not moving. If it’s dead, we take out fellow Knights with us. If not, then we kill it here and now! Surely seven swords can finish it off!”

Tap

“No! Must I remind you that I’m in command here? I feel like I must do so. Stand down, or expect the consequences!”

Tap tap

Another Knight tried to stop the disobedient Knight from digging an even bigger hole, but he shrugged the other Knight away.
“Sir, with all due respect, the longer we stall, the more of a chance we risk the rest of the city of the attacks.”

“And if we all die because we ‘thought’ the dragon was dead, who will protect Amastad then?! I won’t say it again, we’re heading out. NOW!” the older Knight basically bellowed. He glared at the rebellious Knight, and then to the other Knights, as if challenging them to speak up. The other nights quickly diverted their glances away from their commanding Knight, not daring to even cough in fear of inciting his newfound anger.

“Let’s go. Move out!” Sir Kiegal commanded. The other Knights quickly made their horses turn back to the city. All except the one who spoke up against him. He huffed as he looked at the dragon, but slowly and surely moved to follow the others…. But he then stopped again and slowly tuned his horse around, hoping that nobody else noticed him going the opposite way.
 
Raban moved back a little to peer towards the dragon's head and saw the half-lidded but open eye that gave him even more unease to the situation at hand. Something was causing it to be unable to move and Raban had no idea of how long that was likely to last. The beast might be injured or weakened but who could tell what resistances it had to hand. Whatever was slowing it down would wear off eventually and Raban didn't really wish to stick around to become the subject of its anger. He was somewhat concerned it had recognised him earlier in the day. It had looked at him with a certain angle to its head that Raban had learned to recognise in other predators. It was something they all tended to do whether they realised it or not. Raban was sure he did it himself both in form and out.

He glanced back to his superior and was glad when Kiegel reached the same conclusion his own mind had reached. If this dragon was freed from its invisible cage before they collected their dead and left, then there would be fresh bodies for it to feed upon and that would not be in the interests of those still alive nor to that of the Order. It was part of the job of commanding men to think about the reward, result versus the risk and cost. They were just too few to deal with such if it suddenly came to now and an animal when it was injured and cornered was always at its most dangerous.

Raban nodded at Kiegel before looking back at the Dragon again to feel its gaze on him. It's eye might still be unmoving but there was that feeling that it knew who he was, recognised his scent from before. Raban was unsure what that would mean in the long term but he gave the dragon an expression that told it too clearly that it should take what freedom Kiegel's decision was giving it. It was customary to try and retreive their fallen but with the danger too great, they would have to forego the custom and leave the dragon to its prize. Hoping the Dragon got the unspoken message it may have already reached of its own accord, Raban moved to go and get into the saddle again but one of the KInight's gave him pause, his hands resting on Venus' withers.

Questioning Kiegel was not something any Knight usually did. Kiegel had earned a reputation for being a hard disciplinarian who commanded sternly but he was usually fair and forthcoming. HE never mistreated his men nor caused them to doubt his calibre. Yet, the decision to allow the beast to stay alive on the chance it wasn't dead seemed to prove too much for one or more of them. Raban could understand the sentiment. A dragon prone and unable to move was ordinarily a gift ripe for the taking but equally there was no honour in doing so. Dragons were undeniably intelligent creatures and Raban viewed them as he would a more traditional foe. Raban shook his head as he mounted up listening to Kiegel's words in return.

Kiegel's decision as far as Raban was concerned was entirely sound. There was no telling when it would regain the freedom to move. Removing men was a task that would take effort and time and Raban doubted the Dragon would be so kind as to let them have that time at all. It was just too risky with so few men to hand. He was understanding of his fellow Knight but he knew and felt the man to be wrong in this case. If it was a smaller dragon and not a being resented or feared by its own kind, it might have been a different story but no one knew what was keeping this one restrained.

Raban tilted his head and felt Venus shift beneath him. He removed a gauntlett and placed it on Venus' shoulder. There it was again, and then again. Something reverburating through the ground and it seemed the horses were feeling the shudders through the ground. He frowned, jamming the gauntlet back on once he was certain and returned his attention to the argumentative Knight and Kiegel. They were running out of time here. They had to leave this dragon be and soon. He readied the reins in his hand, willing Venus to be ready to move at the order.

Kiegel rarely rose to anger but Raban knew that once he had been pushed too far, then woe betide anyone who didn't toe the line. Even he didn't dare to speak up even if he was in agreement with the man. The man had spoken the truth and had correctly read the right response to the situation. It was what had earned him his position and what was looked for in others. He turned Venus around, the mare only seemed too glad to leave. No blame in that either. He wanted all these men to leave. They were too few and he didn't want more lives to be lost in the name of 'so called human superiority' or in the name of duty. Some times, you had to retreat to go foreward.

He felt Venus surge forwards at the command given and he did not deny the mare her head at all. He knew the mare was anxious and fearful of being so close to what had hurt her master and that she would want to be with Janine again soon. That wouldn't be for a while to come yet. Janine had to heal and rest up as much as she could. Raban would make sure Venus was cared for in her absence. She was earning those apples tenfold today. It was only when they had gotten back to the safety of Amastad that he noticed they were one short. He glanced around and sniffed the air to make sure. No, the man was not there to be accounted for.

Why was he not here, did he think to take the dragon on by himself? He hoped to god that was not the case. With a small note of apology to Venus, he moved to pull up alongside Kiegel's horse. Kiegel hadn't seemed to of noticed the absence yet. He had to be told.

"We're back, but we're one man short," he reported and Kiegel looked back sharpely at the man that come with them. Raban heard the resounding growl in the other man's throat marking the displeasure of being disobeyed.
"The fool! What does he think he is?"
"One who thinks he knows better," Raban replied sadly. A lot of the younger ones were prone to the same kind of thinking, lacking the experience to know any better but had egos the size of their quarry.

"I don't think it's wise for us all to go back and get him back, Sir. Perhaps one could change his mind?" He asked, ready to head back out. The man might have been an absolute fool and he knew what Chestnut would have thought of him and what she would have suggested in his mind at that moment in time but the man was still human and still alive. There was a chance to stop him from doing something so stupid to the cost of his life. However, the decision lay with his Commander.
 
((Sorry - I’ve been debating on what the dragon should do in the next scene. I had a few good possibilities to play around with.))

The dragon listened to the humans speaking, his neck straining to move, but to no avail. They seemed to be unsure of whether to kill him or not. It would be wise to do it now, while he was still down, he thought - he’d never give them the chance to survive if it was up to him. As the humans made their decision, the one he recognized by scent gave him a stare - a look of some sort… He couldn’t help but to think he was being warned or challenged. Again with the challenges. Another reason to put a claw through their chests. But he couldn’t help but to feel this pressure of excitement in his chest. Was he really going to take the glance at heart? It wouldn’t be wise to rouse oneself up like this, but the idea was rather…. Intriguing. But he learned his lesson - just as they hopefully have learned to not underestimate the dragon as an enemy, he had learned the same thing. Not all humans were created equal….. But he wondered why?

No matter, he had more time to think about it when he was able to close his fucking eyes.

Nonetheless, he was glad when the humans finally made her leave. He was somewhat grateful that he was still motionless at this point, for it would give him the rest he needed before getting back up again. He decided to enjoy this moment, and let the silence of the forest lull him to -

“Damn old man doesn’t even know what he’s doing….”

Another human? Again? That’s it….. No more waiting around. The irritation was too much. Time to make another statement.

~~~~~~~~~~​


Sir Kiegal sighed as he put his hands up to the bridge of his nose. This was utterly ridiculous. He thought he had made himself clear with his command to head home. He’d go himself, but he supposed that maybe some other young’un might try something funny. He had to keep the order, and he trusted Raban to not defect from his original command.

“Yes, Raban. It seems that you and I and maybe a couple others are one of the few Knights in this current moment in time to listen to reason. I trust you to convince him to come back, or at least drag him back with your own bare hands, whichever comes first. We need everyone left to be alive. No more casualties. This dragon is a threat of the highest concern. We don’t know what it’ll do the next time around,” Keigal stated with worry and concern clear in his voice. “You may go. Be very careful Raban. Please,” he asked. He huffed and bowed his head to dismiss Raban, then continued his way towards the rest of the Order to give his commands.

~~~~~~~~​

The young Knight scoffed as he rode his horse back to the stilled dragon. He couldn’t believe that Sir Kiegal was too scared to kill a dragon that was right in front of him! How was he supposed to be this great leader if he ran away from the biggest and deadliest dragon that ever stepped foot into Amastad, and it couldn’t even move to defend itself?

“Damn old man doesn’t even know what he’s doing….” he mumbled.

Once again, the dragon’s hide was in view. He tapped his sword absentmindedly as he went around the dragon’s scaled tail. Such a behemoth. He couldn’t help but to feel that tinge of fear creeping back up to his chest. The wing was still extended, and the dragon was still… Still. It was unnerving. And yet, he had the chance of a lifetime to prove the old man wrong. Usually, he didn’t question Sir Kiegal’s commands, but this one just puzzled him. It didn’t make sense for them to leave this thing alone, not when it could get up at any time and kill them all. He had to do it now, to save everyone else. And to prove that not every leader is always correct.

He slowly got off his horse, who whinnied and stomped nervously in place, and steadily took out his sword as he crept around the dragon's wing. He’d slice it in the neck to drain out the blood, and it’ll just bleed out to death. And to be sure, he’d also stab it in the chest a few times. The Knight was very nervous as he looked into the dragons brown eyes, and gulped softly as he slowly raised his sword.
 
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Raban did not think that Kiegel would allow for one to be left behind, no matter how foolish the man had been to have gone back and disobeyed a direct command. Raban knew that was going to have repercussions for the Knight involved if he did manage to get the man back but he could not have helped that. The Knight had made a choice, a wrong choice, but it had been his choice.

He knew Venus wasn't going to like this much but what else could he do. Duty was something that both he and Janine were bound to and with them their horses. Perhaps less so in Venus' case but still. He nodded as Kiegel spoke to him and he agreed. No one could know what this dragon would do. It was highly unpredictable and very unprecedented.

Raban nodded, "I will, sir. I'll get him back," his inflections added the 'I'll try' part because at this point none of them could guarantee that the dragon hadn't gotten free from its invisible bounds and snapped the Knight without trace. He acknowledged the order with a nod before turning Venus around and spurred her onwards to retrace their route from the dragon.

"Sorry girl,I know you're hating this," he breathed, urging her on. "Enough people have gotten hurt or worse today," he just hoped he got there in time to stop the man from making a stupid mistake that could cost his life. There was no doubt in Raban's mind that the Dragon was at least starting to be able to have moved when they were last with it. The shakes in the ground were slight but too close for it to have been anything else. If whatever was holding it captive wore off quickly, Raban wouldn;t have much time to get there and convince the man to stop his intention. He frowned, he really hoped he could do it in a civilised fashion. Knocking another Knight out was a bit low but if he had to do so to bring the man back alive, he would not hesitate.

"Going to be owing you a whole bushel of apples after today, aren't I girl?" he murmured as they raced back. He didn't want to push her too hard. A spent horse would be of use neither of them and he didn't want to kill her through exhaustion so he didn't push er too hard.

They got there just as the Knight he had been sent to retrieve wqas nearing the worst possible place for him to be in. He prayed the Dragon was still immobilised for long enough for him to do what was needed. Damn the man! His decision to disobey was not only putting his own life in danger but that of Raban's and that of Amastad's as well! He tried to recall the man's name and after a moment he remembered it as he pulled Venus to a halt. He could smell the fear from the other horse stood nearby. It clearly wished to run away but its training was holding its ground.

"Luxley! Stop this madness! Get away from it... Whatever's holding it in place is wearing off!"

The man was far too close for Raban's liking and even he was perhaps too close for their own good but he had to try and get this man to see reason. He did not trust the man was able to kill it in time before invisible chains snapped and all hell broke loose.

:)3 Go ham.)
 
((OoooOh…. Don’t mind if I do…))

Luxley had his sword ready to strike at the dragon’s neck. He had to use a good amount of strength to make it go through. He poised himself and aimed the sword carefully….

“Die you foul beast…” the man declared just as he began to relax himself.

But then...

“Luxley! Stop this madness!” a voice called out.

Luxley yelped and dropped the sword onto the ground. He backed away a few feet and saw who called his name. Oh hell. Raban. Of course he’d come back to retrieve him.

“Go away Raban! I’m going to kill this thing once and for all! Whether you or Kiegal are too afraid to kill it or not is not going to be my problem. These men deserve better than this, and you know it! And this dragon deserves to die. I know you’re tired of this monster tearing down our walls and snapping up men. Just help me out, and we can let this beast truly behind us,” the Knight said in his attempt to persuade the older Knight.

~~~~~~~~​

Tap tap

The dragon reflexively tapped his claw on the ground again. So he was the monster here huh? He never liked the term. It was too broad, and non-specific. He considered humans to be monsters, just as they considered him to be one. And that man was back again. No doubt trying to retrieve this disobedient human. The horses stomped on the ground and whinnied nervously.

Mmmmm.

The nervous energy was stirring his predatory urges, even though he was still technically in no condition to hunt. The `humans will be fun to kill though. The long claws underneath the large body shifted slightly as he waited for the men to be deep in conversation - he could feel his muscles beginning to shift again. The back spines of his began to flex a little, but he didn’t want to move them too much, in fear of alerting the more wary Knight before him. He’d be a treat to play with a little. While all he wanted to do was to be left alone, it seems that fear needed to be implemented for his desires to be met. But his body was beginning to register movement again

That wouldn't be a problem. Hopefully.
 
It seemed he had only been in the nick of time but whether Luxley would see it quite the same way was another matter entirely. He just hoped that time was on their side. Luxley did not appear to have realised his absence had been noted so soon or had expected to have anyone return for him.

He steared back at the other for a moment, listening to the man's words. He might not agree with what the man was planning or had been planning to do, but he was still one to at least show he was listening at least. He rose and dismounted, patting Venus gently on her neck before he moved closer. His hackles rose beneath his skin with being so close to this beast but fear was something he had learned to overcome or at least put aside.

"I am tired," he agreed and let the other's expression warm to the words before he broke it again. "I am tired of people throwing their lives away without reading the situation before them," there was not real way to tell the other man just how he knew this dragon was far from sedated. There was that shudder again, it was like the one he had felt before but it seemed Luxley had either missed it or was ignoring it.

Raban looked at the injured beast knowing it would have to die one day. It knew that as much as he did but this didn't feel right. Something was wrong here and they were running out of time. He moved and took the man's sword, resting across both hands before he drew it straight, the flat of the crossbar intbetween the two Knights of an aging Order. He looked at it for a long moment before he looked back at the other and removed his own gauntlet. He drew closer to the dragon itself and laid a hand across its scales. He knew it was not going to like it but he had to be sure.

Sure enough, the flesh was warm and with a little focusing, he could feel the blood coursing through veins and arteries. This dragon was certainly not dead and Raban would not be surprised if the dragon was able to control its breathing and heartrate to slow it down. Had he been in the dragon's place with no code governing his actions, he would use the situation to his favour. Two potentials, ignoring a threat that did not seem to exist. Raban had been alive long enough to know how different creatures hunted. Some liked the open chase, others lay in ambush and some more rarely so would entice and lure. He knew of a snake who was prone to letting its prey get close, even to a point of letting them take little bites out of it before it struck. Raban also knew that cold blooded creatures such as crocodiles and he could daresay dragons were able to shrug off injuries that would otherwise be fatal for a mammal.

"We're all taught that they're monsters. That they don't think, but only hunt us down. I had hoped you would know better, Luxley. Me and Kiegel, we might be old and slower than we once were, but we've been playing this for longer. You might not understand his decision now, Luxley, but in time perhaps you will be in his position and a situation like this may arise once again for you to know his reasons. I know Kiegel entertained the same idea as you and the rest of the men and women of the Order,"

It was a little shameful in a way to downplay his age and capabilities but he knew and accepted he could only remain part of the Order for so long without people getting weird about it.

"You forget your oath, lad,"

That drew anger out of Luxley. Raban had questioned his faith and loyalty to the Order and he was young enough to let that anger get the better of him. Raban had done so quite intentionally. He would rather Luxley be angry at him and alive then sorry and dead.

"How dare you, Raban! Give me my sword back, now!"
Raban calmly peered back at the other as he moved back to his previous spot, shrugging his gauntlet back onto his hand. He kept a firm grip of the man's sword. He didn't think that was wise just yet.

"I swear to stand and fight for the safety of Amastad and its populace, to stand and fight with those that cannot fight for their own and their livlihoods themselves," Raban repeated, ignoring the man's anger and he did not break gaze from Luxley either. A wolf would so rarely be outstared.

"That means standing with the city first, lad. Yes, this dragon could come back and if it does, we'll dissuade it again. These men who rode out to chase this beast off chose to do foolishly. Do not join them, Luxley. We are too few in number now to fully protect the city and we need every man left to rebuild and maintain city defenses. If there are no Knights left, who will stand to protect those that cannot do so themselves."

"Think it through, lad," he breathed, "You forget that this is not the only dragon out there and they are far from the mindless beast you assume it to be. Look at it. He's of some age and they don't get this big without intelligence and cunning. He's not dead and whatever is keeping him is wearing off. The dragon may already know its freedom and is biding the right moment to teach you its lesson. Don't let yourself be fooled into thinking you are any more or less surperior than it is."

"Kiegel did not chose lightly, believe that, but he needs you alive, not dead. You hear me?"
 
((Okay, so I’m serious this time. Luxley is ded xD. Looks like we’re gonna have to do something about new recruits or something….))

Luxley groaned and turned his body in frustration. “Raban. Almost like Keigal’s pet - following him everywhere he goes and listening to him like an obedient dog. When are you going to wake up? I am trying to save the city! And ourselves. And do you really think that this dragon isn’t a mindless monster? It’s even attacked its own kind without mercy! There’s no way that beast actually thinks. All it thinks about is killing everybody it sees. Including us humans. So sorry that we don’t see eye to eye, Knight, but this thing needs to die. And it needs to die now!”

The younger Knight exclaimed before bypassing him and walking up to the scaled beast. “And if I don’t kill it now, then who will? Unless you wanna wait for this thing to get up and we can follow it back to its den? Then we could finally know where it hides, and we can kill it in its sleep,” he suggested as he turned to face Raban.

That seemed to be the last straw. Multiple taps on the ground were made, and the horses - especially Venus - stomped and bucked in circles. Venus voiced a harsh whinny at Raban before rearing up on her hind legs, and Luxley’s horse did the same. Raban would see the eye of the dragon suddenly move, staring at him before the pupil narrowed into slits. The maw of the dragon upturned into a vicious snarl as the eye suddenly focused onto the nearest Knight, and a low growl vibrated the forest floor.

Luxley turned with a gasp and fell to the ground, panting in fright as the large head loomed over the man. The beast’s sharp fangs touched the man’s leg, making him whimper as he stayed where he was, quietly begging for his life. Then, the huge beast then snatched the leg between his fangs, resulting in an agonized scream from the man as he dragged the man closer to his face. Then….. In a low growly tone of voice….

“Foolish human.... I think.... A lot! Do you know what I think now?" The dragon asked as he glared at the whimpering man. With no answer, the dragon continued. "I think that nobody will be following me anywhere!” the beast snarled. He then lunged forward and snatched Luxley up, throwing the screaming man into the air before he landed into his jaws, never to be seen again.

The dragon turned to the shrieking horses and tilted his head. More food? The dragon then turned to the last Knight standing before him, growling and snarling as he struggled to stand up again. It seemed as if the beast temporarily forgot how to keep balance, but he managed it soon enough. His wing folded back up close to his body as he eyed Raban, and with a swift motion, swept his legs from under him with his tail. The dragon loomed over Raban the same way he did Luxley, and put his snout up to his chest. He inhaled deeply, taking in as much as his scent as possible before exhaling with the same strength. The dragon then lifted his nose from the Knight and huffed softly.

“You… Aren’t like the other Knights aren’t you…? You seem to be… Wiser than most. You remind me of someone I used to know….” the dragon growled. He paused and looked in the distance for a moment, but he quickly shook his head and focused on Raban.

“And you have the scent of something else on you. Something familiar…. Like a predator of some sort. Interesting. I will find out sooner or later,” The dragon said as he looked over its wounds again. So many wounds. So much blood loss. But he couldn’t bring himself to go after more humans. They were small and agile, and he didn’t have the energy to deal with this one.

“Your fellow humans were foolish to come after me. You already knew that. But you could’ve killed me as well. I don’t understand why. Either way, I don’t want to think about that right now. It’s not my concern at the moment.” The dragon then looked to the small stash of his victims and then out into the distance of the forest. He pondered on it for a moment, tail thumping on the ground before he snorted to himself. He flexed his back spines and glanced at them for a moment. With a nod of his head, the dragon picked up a corpse with his maw and lifted them up to a single spine. The dragon then skewered the bodies on each spine, one by one, all the way until they touched his actual flesh. When he got to Chestnut’s body, the dragon paused and sniffed the horse for a few seconds. He lifted his gaze to Raban and growled softly.

“Your horse…? Such a puzzling creature - I thought horses were supposed to be like…. Them,” the dragon said as he directed his head towards the nervous horses, “But I suppose now I know better. As much as I hate to admit it, I had bitten off more than I can chew today. Your horse has partaken partly to that,” the dragon said with a growl. “As such, I refuse to stay here any longer. I’m too close to you Knights for my liking. You have more than humans guarding your walls. And you come off to me as more of a predator yourself…. Some dragons call all you Knights ‘predators’, but I normally don’t…. Normally. However, I see you as a good one…. And as a challenge. You and that other one that I wounded. As such, I need to rest, and relay what I’ve learned today.”

The dragon sniffed the air and huffed. A breeze in the wind blew past the Knight and dragon, dragging the scents of the forest with it.

“The cold times are coming, Knight. As a beast who doesn’t breathe fire, I don’t do well in the cold, and hunting for food will be tough enough as is without traveling and wasting energy. So I won’t be…. Terrorizing your city anytime soon. Afterwards…? You’ll be fair game. Not soon though - I had, and still have, business to tend to. A lot of personal business. So, from one predator to another I will give you this one warning….” the dragon said as he drew his face closer to Raban, “... do not follow me anywhere. Do not track me down. I just want to be left alone. If I pick up your scent on my territory, I will hunt you down. If I pick up anybody else’s scent from the Knights on my territory, I will hunt them down. If I pick up that infuriating female Knight’s scent on my territory, I will kill her. Understand?” the dragon quipped. He withdrew his face and snorted, confident that Raban got the message. He then nudged Chestnut a bit closer towards the Knight with a claw, being careful to not damage the body anymore than he had already done.

“A body for a body. I’ve had my fill of humans for today,” The dragon said as he turned and hobbled away. His gait from before had improved since the initial attack, but only barely. The dragon kept going without looking back, until his giant figure was nothing but a shadow in between the tall trees.
 
:)'D!)

Raban growled somewhat at being called Kiegel's pet. He might have pledged his service with the Order but he was anything but a pet or a subservient of that fashion to another. It was also impertinent of a junior officer to call him such and Raban could only feel pity for the man. The young understood nothing of the weight resting on a commander's shoulder nor had the experience under their belts. This man was making himself to be about as one who was wanting to make a name for himself. There were a lot of those types and none befitting the Order. Luxley was in the wrong organisation if this kind of bravado was his main drive.

Raban watched, a dark feeling seating itself in the base of his gut. This man understood nothing of how the natural world worked. Lions would either drive off or kill the lions of a pride or those trying to overtake their pride and kill the cubs that belogned to the prior king if they could. Wolves would attack each other if the terrortory weas encroached. Killing each other was not exclusively a human motivation. The only thing that was exclusively human was killing for sport. Raban sighed heavily in the realisation that he was perhaps not likely to win this conversation.

He turned as the other walked right by him and frowned as the man spoke, shaking his head with a grave expression to his rugged expression.

"Luxley... That's not th-"

Whatever he wanted to say to the man to try and get him to change his mind was cut short when he heard Venus and the other horse whinny and the shudders throiugh the ground. He frowned with open worry and concern, his guard heightened with a open expression before he looked past his fellow Knight and caught sight of the Dragon's eye shift and narrow at him. Raban's hackles rose higher if it was possible. Their time had run out. His chance to save a life was growing thinner and thinner by the second.

Fuck.

That was a chief word in Raba's mind as the dragon's snarled and proved that it was not ready to die. Raban could not blame it. No one was trully ready to die. Raban stilled as the other man fell and whimpered. He could imagine what Chestnut would have to say at his. 'No spine' came directly to mind. Kiegel was not going to like this but Raban had lost control of the situation. How could he have hoped to.

His hearing hurt from the man's scream of agony and he winced, stepping back. There was no arguing with a dragon this size and he was very aware he could be next on its menu. He got ready to change just in case. He had a better chance than Luxley. He was inhumane. Luxley did not have that aid to his chances of suvival.

It was then the dragon spoke and Raban stared. He couldn't recall it speaking before now but even to his incredulaity, he knew it was certainly intelligent enough to be able to form speech. Dragons had their own language far more ancient than humankinds but for a dragon to speak the common tongue was unheard of.

Luxley was gone before Raban even had the chance to stop the dragon and his heart sank. If only the man had not disobeyed Kiegel. Raban did not run away from the Dragon. He knew better. Even with his dark gift, it would take him too long to change and run. He had to hope and prove that he was not like Luxley. That, or he was hoping to get stupidly lucky.

He grunted when his legs were take out from beneath him, his back landing heavily on the ground but he gave no other resistance. He had to reserve his strength. He could not quite stop his heart from beating so quick but he slowed it just enough in a way that no normal human could. Raban matched the gaze of the dragon but made no move to run or to antagonise it like a normal member of humanity would. This dragon, despite its injuries, had the upper hand and Raban recognised it, acknowledge it and knew that his life was in a very delicate balance right now. The dragon's breath stank of meat and decay that spoke to his own beast inside and it answered internally.

He moved only enough to prop himself up a little as he looked up at the dragon that had so recently gobbled his colleague. Raban had no real time for remorse for the man, he felt pity and sadness but Luxley had made his choice and had paid the ultimate price. The dragon engaged with him speaking of remembrance and Raban wondered how or why he would instill that thought to a dragon's mind. He was a human and a werewolf, nothing near quite the life of a dragon's kind. He didn't speak to counteract the thought however. Raban knew this dragon had words to say and it was going to say them how it liked. He felt he could not deny it such. He had to remain calm, focused, wary and ready for the moment.

Scent...? Was it recognising his scent from the time he had attacked it in his true form or was it picking up Janine's scent that was likely still mixing with his own? He wasn't sure. He certainly wasn't going to affirm anything. The dragon would be right in that court. It would learn eventually or work it out. Raban was aware that his scent could have traces of his wolfishness in his human mix just as much as his wolf might have traces of the human stink. He wasn't sure. He just grunted vaguely before the dragon continued talking.

The dragon was right in that. They could have killed it. Raban could not honestly say what had gone through Kiegel's mind at the decision he had eventually arrived to. It would have been the easiest thing in the world to have done but perhaps he had felt what Raban felt. That, somehow, it felt innately wrong to kill something as clearly intelligent and long lived as it was when it had no ability to defend itself. Killing a man who had no means to defend himself in the field of battle was considered in human terms cold and uncivilised. Why should that same consideration not extend to dragonkind, and it turn, his own? The dragon was also right. Those that had ridden after it and Luxley were foolish and had paid the price. It was all very sad really.

He lowered his chin in acknowledgement of that fact before he watched as it moved to look at the body of his own warhorse. Damned, poor shire. It never got the chance to have its own life. It looked back at him as it spoke and he nodded. Chestnut had done what she thought was right and had felt free in the process. He snorted, and shook his head, "She's... She was a firebrand." He would give the dragon that much. Surely it had felt her fire, her heat, perhaps it had felt pain from it but there was no denyhing her fire. It was not happy but neither did it seem keen on eating him or causing him further pain at this juncture. Raban wasn't sure but that was his instinct. The dragon was wanting to recoup and would perhaps pay him a visit in the future when it was fully restored. Raban hoped not. He hoped the dragon had enough of Knights to leave them alone and seek other fare. That would be enough.

Raban blinked and stared at it a moment. It considered him one of the good ones and a challenge at that. A part of him felt thrilled at the vague compliment and the rest of him remained worried at it. It had spoken of Janine too but he said nothing to change its mind. Let it beleive that. Pehaps it would go away for a few years in the name of that beleif. Who knew? He wetted his lips, his gut writhing in a tight ball of tension.

He kept his silence but his face would tell the dragon that the man was giving it his full attention. Raban gave that to everything and everyone he came across. At least he tried to. It made the nightmares a little easier to bear. It confirmed his hope, that it would give them a reprieve in its own effort to recover its own strength. It drew close. Too close for Raban's preference but nothing of the predator within himself allowed him to move or show subservience. They were both two creatures very used to being at the top of a chain. His eyes narrowed as it spoke of Janine and he growled softly in response. The growl was not human, the beast within was answering the heat of the moment.

"Go, dragon. Recover, I shall not hunt you. You leave the woman out of it, however," he returned his only condition as the dragon withdrew its head that was big enough to swallow him whole. It had proved that very visually already. Raban had lived for so many years that they blended into each other. Perhaps this dragon knew something of that too. However, Janine was someone who had come so suddenly into his life with her truth that in return he felt a strong sense of will to protect. It went beyond words. It was just a strong feeling within himself that he knew he would die if it meant she would survive. He had walked this world, experienced its challenges and wonders in ways she had yet to. Raban realised he wanted that for her. He did not want this dragon taking that from her.

He didn't move even as he spoke. It had to be clear he was not challenging, just returning a condition that said only too well that the dragon could go after him all it liked if it left her alone. He was happy to let it go and live its life. Whether the Order and Kiegel would was entirely another matter than he had little to no control over. HE hoped he could state a good basis for biding time to his superior at least. he stared as it nudged his shire's body closer and looked upwards at it. Was it relinquishing its claim over the corpses? Was that it?

Raban propped himself higher as he watched the dragon speak and then turn away, walking off in its injured state. The man waited for a long moment to be sure it wasn't coming back for him before the breath he had been holding flew right out of him. He flopped back on the ground, breathing heavily as he tried to comprehend it all. He had survived what he should not have done. The dragon had decided to spare him. So lost was he in his attempt to do so that after a while, he eventually felt the velvety nose of Venus butting into his head. He looked to her before he sighed and reached up to hug her nose and the lower part of her head.

"Gods... Venus..." he sighed, fidning comfort in her company. He wanted Chestnut's voice back so desperately it hurt but he knew it would take some time before he would feel her. His heart hammered and thundered inside his chest, he could fele his blood course behind his ears, his nerves were on knifepoint. It was a deeply unsettling feeling, one he felt before but it felt so different when he knew teh cause of it could have so easily been the end of him. He might be immune to the usual cuts and stabs that were fatal to humans but if he was dismembered or torn apart... there was no coming back from that.

Eventually, he rose and stood upon shaky legs. He looked towards the point Luxley had been standing moments before and shook his head. It had been such a waste of a life. He looked to his horse's corpse before he moved to retrieve Luxley's horse. He lead it closer to Venus and tied the reigns to the saddle before he looked back at the body of the shire Chestnut had previously inhabited. He wasn't entirely sure what to do. The two thousand pound mare was too heavily for even the two horse he had to drag her. In the end, he knelt beside its head and spoke quietly.

"I'm sorry, old girl. You should have gotten your chance. To roam a field, have appees, sand baths... " he sighed before he plaited her mane. He tied it off both top and bottom before cutting it free. It was another death on his conscience. Along with Luxley's. Even if it had been the man's decision, it still rested heavily that he could have saved him. In some ways, he would have preferred it if the dragon had taken her too. It wouldn't go to waste at least that way. He had nothing with him to help him bury her but the plait of black horsehair would serve as remembrance.

Raban turned back and pulled himself into Venus' saddle, "Come on, Venus. Let's go home." he spoke heavily, not entirely looking forward to the conversation ahead of him. He did not push Venus, he was happy to let her walk the way back. The dragon's words and choice in letting him go was still running circles about his brain.
 
The dragon plodded through the forest, thinking about what the Knight had said to him. He was pleased that he wasn’t going to hunt him down - he just wished that he did have to speak in order for that message to get across. Either way, he was interesting to speak to anyway - he could feel his spirit flare when he gave him the warning. He felt something underneath the Knight stand up against the dragon, but the human himself wasn’t threatening him, so he didn’t have a reason to lunge at him.

…

Wait… When did he ever need a reason to kill a human? Just existing was reason enough. As were those high and mighty dragons that think they could just get rid of him. He had just as much of a right to live as they did! He shook his head. The human was most intriguing, but he shouldn’t let his curiosity, which rarely showed itself, get in the way of what he was: a killer. And yet… In order to see him in action, he needed him alive. Someone who was smart. Someone who didn’t rush into death so blatantly. And maybe someone who looked death in the eye and challenged it if that meant protecting others. Those kinds of enemies were the most thrilling to him.

He picked up that spirit when he threatened the female Knight. The male even had the audacity to pull up a condition…. Or was it a challenge? No, it wasn’t a challenge, but he did see the fierceness behind the human’s eyes when he spoke. It made his body tingle a little. Yes. He shall rest up, and give the humans time to recover. Even though his mind told him to not let them live, he secretly relished the idea of a fight to make the male Knight reveal himself. His true self. The spirit behind those human eyes.

It would be all the better to see that spirit break when he destroyed the things he cared for most.

~~~~~~~​

When Raban went home, Kiegal was told by one of the other Knights. He went up to the fields to see his fellow Knight return with the disobedient Knight’s horse without him on it, and he immediately knew why. Another loss. It was getting out of hand. He had to do something about it, but he couldn't. Not now. Now, he had to focus on helping the city get back together.

~~~~~~~~

One week later​

The damages to the city weren’t severe nor extensive, but they still required a bit of work to fix. For the homes that were damaged, many of the townspeople had to work together to get the job done. And sometimes, people had to work overtime for the goal of speeding the process along. Many people were tired and relocated to temporary places to stay. Quite a few inns and taverns were nearly full, to house the ones who were waiting for their homes to be rebuilt. Somehow, a small portion of crops were damaged, but it didn’t seem like it was a life threatening amount, despite the outrage of the farmers that were affected. The city as a whole was slowed down in production, but things would soon pick back up. Hopefully soon.

There were a few people who were injured. Some were more injured than others, but none were as hurt as Janine. Even after a week, the nurses were wary of her recovery, for after they cleaned her and dressed her and tended to her wounds with sewing and tight wrapping, she didn’t wake back up. She was breathing, sure - it had even gotten a little stronger after they sewed all the wounds closed - but she wasn’t very responsive. She mumbled here and there, but she never ate or drank anything on her own. Sometimes, out of worry, a nurse would open Janine’s mouth and make her have a sip of some water or soup. Other than that she was as still as a statue for the most part, besides when her body slightly rose and fell as she slept.

Janine’s mother was worried sick once Raban told her what happened. At first nobody was able to visit the injured Knight, but after a couple of days, she was available to be visited. So from that day on, Janine’s mother visited her whenever possible. She’d talk to her, stroke her arms and face and hair, concern and worry a constant sight on her own face. She’d tell her that Raban would be fine and how he’s helping to fix the city. And she’d tell her to hurry and get better so she could make her favorite dinner. “Get better, woman-child,” she’d always say before leaving.

On this day, Janine’s mother was coming to visit. At this point, the nurses had recognized her face and let her in without asking who she was visiting. The older woman sighed as she went to sit down on a nearby chair. Janine was still unresponsive; the woman had to keep herself calm for her daughter’s sake. She’d never seen Janine like this before - laying in the bed for more than a day without waking up. But it reminded her of the time her father was stuck in the cold, and went into that hibernation state. Was that what this was? Her healing via putting herself in some sort of deep sleep? She couldn’t tell. She only knew that the deep sleep happened when her father was near freezing to death. Was she cold before she was put in here? She had to ask Raban the next time she met him. Oh, how she wished she could feed her and take care of her daughter, but the nurses insisted that she kept herself away from the wounds. It was understandable, but it didn’t stop the woman from being sad as she put a hand on Janine’s belly.

“I’m here again, baby. I know you must be getting annoyed by my voice now, but I’m just so worried about you. You haven’t spoken in a week, not to mention eaten or drank anything on your own. I don’t like knowing that the nurses have to feed you, when you’re so capable of doing it normally.” the mother paused, sighing as she shook her head. Maybe that was enough negativity for the moment. She had to be strong - maybe she could give Janine something to look forward to?

“I had talked to Raban the other day. He said that he’d try and visit you once he had the free time. That’s exciting, right? But he can’t make any promises, since there’s a bit to be done with the city. He's been tired lately, and I understand it. But he’s worried about you too, you know. Just as worried as me, Lord bless him. He asked about you the few times we met. Get well soon so you can see him when he visits, okay?” her mother softly asked as she stroked the young woman’s head.
 
His heart was heavy that came from a dark day of loss. Amastad might have fended the dragon off and its inhabitants safe and alive, but they had lost too much to make that any sort of victory. The stupidity and the foolhardy bravery of youth had robbed several of their lives and futures. He sighed as he drew close back to Amastad wondering if it was time to move on or not. His lifelong mentor Cadfael had mentioend there may be a time that he would have to, regardless of whether he wanted to or not. The Order would not understand his special peculiarities of living for longer than any ordinary human did. More had happened in the recent month or so than had ever happened in his time of service.

He lifted his head as he sensed movement and he recognised Kiegel meeting him on the way in. He didn't have to say a word. The lack of a human body on a horse was evidence enough of what happened. Raban had failed in what he had gone back to try and do. Sure, he knew he couldn't have helped the situation but that didn't mean he felt any less responsible or affected for it. Raban was unsure what this would now mean. They would be playing the defensive for a while, he thought in reason. At least until more Knights were trained and sworn in. That would take a while.

Over the next week, he, much like the rest of the Order, helped with the efforts to rebuild Amastad's walls and buildings. To help its residents recover their livelihoods that they had lost. Raban knew he was throwing himself into the work perhaps more than some but he didn't mind. It helped him deal with what had happened and kept his mind and hands busy. He needed that.

He still made sure to keep himself informed of Janine's progress though he was unable to get the time to visit her. He wanted to but the city and others had to come first for now. Raban also checked in on her mother from time to time. He felt Janine would have appreciated him doing so and they had Janine in common. He was worried that Janine wouldn't make it and he prayed for her every day. Chestnut had yet to make an appearance and not for the first time did he wonder where she was or cursed the curse that had ruled over her life for the years it had. He didn't know where she was and she wasn't talking to him. He knew it could take a while for that to happen. He just had to be patient and wait. That was not easy to do.

The work helped to keep his mind distracted from his headspace but at nights when he went to go and sleep, that was when it was the hardest to deal with. He often still wondered about the day he had survived being eaten by the dragon. Raban was not stupid, he knew the dragon had no real reason to have spared him. He was human just as much as he was of werekind. Despite that duality, he was still bound by human existance and assumptions. Yet, this dragon had picked up on the difference and decided to let him live. There was a lot of questions involved in that. Why, mostly.

It was almost fully into the second week before Amastad resembled half of its old self again. The walls were rebuilt and everything else was slowly coming back to normality again. It was tiring work for all involved, even for Raban who was usually able to rely on being able to go on for longer because of what he was. A wolf's endurance was renowned, nevermind the werekind variety. It was later in that week before he got time for himself that wasn't confined to nights where all he wanted was to sleep and try to ignore his usual nightmare that evolved and changed as he got older.

He pulled up outside the infirmary and dismounted. He was using Luxley's horse for the meantime. A gelding with a typical nature of a horse but the horse had a little spirit to it. Nothing like Chestnut's but it was there. He patted his neck and tied off the reins so it wouldn't wander off before he turned. He wasn't in armour. Just in simple breeches and a brown non-descript shirt. He reached to scratch at his collarbone. He didn't know if Janine was awake or not but he wanted to see her. Make sure she was okay to his own eyes. He didn't disbelieve Janine's Mother or the reports from others but it would just help to see her for himself.

He entered and thankfully didn't have to argue or reason why he was there. A nurse pointed him out to the room Janine was in and said her mother was there right now. Raban nodded before he slowly walked towards the door. He gave a pause before it before he lifted a hand and knocked gently upon it as he opened it, hoping that he wasn't intruding. Her mother had the right to turn him away if she wanted to be alone with her daughter.
 
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