Grankle was alone in his house. The troll was sitting on his couch, watching a movie on DVD, "...Grankle should really invest in cable or something... Watched this at least fifty times now..." He noticed the time, "Oh! It is late... Grankle needs to sleep," he went off to his room and went to sleep.

Remes reached Hooveville, the area's major town, and went to the hospital. He went into the reception and went to the front desk. The receptionist instantly saw the stick impaled into Remes's shoulder. She paged a nurse. Remes said " thank you." a nurse came and attend to him. After all that, Remes stood outside for awhile then went to the bar.

Araile Kiljik sat in her car at a gas station just outside the town of Hooveville she was currently homeless, living in her car. She sat looking at herself in the rearview mirror, she needed to go out into the forest and change for a little bit, maybe take to the skies and let out some steam. She was stressing out lately, feeling like an impending doom was headed her way. She was the last of her kind, that she knew of anyway, the last dragon shifter. She was always alert and cautious, but part of herself kept telling her mind to not worry so much, this was the 21st century and people didn't believe in her kind anymore, not enough to hunt her down. She got out of her car, slammed the door and locked it. Her tight black and red strapless dress hung to about mid thigh and she had on a pair of delicate sandals today, not really forest material shoes. She took them off, unlocked the car and threw them in the front seat, relocking the car she headed for the forest. She started to run as she felt the need for her dragon to be free rise up in her, she smiled and let out a whooping laugh as she changed within a second, she took to the skies completely oblivious that anyone might see her, and she didn't care just at the moment, she was tired of hiding and waiting for night, today she would enjoy the sun on her scales.

She beat her wings slowly after a bit, gliding on the wind that flowed above the clouds, she realized that she was thirsty and let herself lose some altitude so she could land. She saw a river not to far from where she was now, and headed for it. When she landed she stayed as a dragon for a moment, enjoying the feeling of the dirt and grass beneath her claws, she rolled onto her back and exposed her belly to the sun. She almost felt childish, but it felt so amazing to finally feel free. She might be a beautiful human woman, but she found her dragon form more appealing at times.

@DarkStarLove90

Darrken fell against a tree and slid down until he was resting against it. Blood slowly trickled from his head. His arms felt lifeless. Even though he was only half demon, holy objects still packed a wallop on him. He slowly cocked his head back and allowed his eyes to close. It wouldn't take too long for him to heal. About an hour to fully recover. He was still in such disbelief some misfit band of creatures banded together to come out here on who knows what type of adventure.

As Darrken smiled to himself, he heard a great flapping of wings and a small "THUD" as something landed near him. He chuckled nervously as he opened his eyes to see, a fucking dragon. His eyes popped open with surprise. "You have got to be kidding." He murmured to himself. It was facing him and drinking from the stream that was near by. "I can't handle a dragon right now." Darrken thought to himself. Though, honestly, Darrken couldn't probably handle a dragon, ever. It hadn't seen him yet, but it was just a matter of time. He had to get out of there.

Darrken painfully lifted himself up and started to hobble away as quietly as he could, when a root caught his foot. He went tumbling down. He coughed some leaves out of his mouth as he slowly stood up and faced the dragon. It had stopped drinking and was staring right at him. "Hello there fella." Darrken wheezed slowly backing up. "My, you're sure looking....strong today. It is such a beautiful day. You're probably just here to get a drink and enjoy the sunshine and you probably want to be left alone. So here I go, to leave you in peace." With that he backed right into a tree and fell down.

He propped himself back and leaded against the tree. "Well, shit." He huffed preparing for the worst.

Araile titled her head at the noise and looked up from the river and caught sight of a creature, she smelled demon and elf on him. Fear tingled through her body, she hadn't flown out here for a fight, and she hoped she wouldn't have to maim anyone today, she made a quick decision probably a stupid one granted but it may save her a fight. She changed back to her human form, her dress clung to her body wet with perspiration from flying. She ran a hand through her hair and looked at the demon, "I mean you no harm demon, I only came here to drink, I don't get to fly often and I may have became a little dehydrated while doing so." She tread through the water, enjoying its cool caress, she came out of the water on the other side of the bank and smiled at him. "I'm rather friendly actually, my name is Araile. I'm a shapeshifter. Dragon is my form I take, as far as I know I'm the last one."

Why did you just say that to a complete stranger??

Araile shook her head and her stupidity for saying too much about herself to someone she had just met, but she hoped his kind wasn't the type to hunt her kind. She stood off to the side, he was hurt obviously and she wanted to offer help, but she wasn't sure if he would take it but she decided to try anyway. "Are you hurt? Do you need some assistance?"

@DarkStarLove90

Darrken's jaw dropped to the ground. The shift in his brain from preparing to die switching to preparing to be suave almost made his head explode. The words she said to him floated through his brain and tumbled out his ears. He had heard what she said, but he brain was busy processing the fact that this vision of a woman had come from that of a dragon. "I, uh, well, I'm, uh." He stammered slowly getting to his feet. He attempted to brush the dirt and dried blood off of him. He only wore comfortable gi pants and he was toned, but natural male instinct made him suck in his stomach and puff out his chest.

He slicked back his hair and smiled. "Hey. I'm doing good. Just a little fight back there with like, five ogres. Big ugly nasty things." Darrken tried to spread his arms to show the height, but winced in pain. "But, no, no, I'm good." He said through clenched teeth. Then suddenly the weight of trying to act too macho must have got to him. That, or perhaps the lack of blood flow to his brain from all his strutting around. Because he fell back against the tree and slid down until he hit the ground. His legs had about given out.

"Maybe just a tiny bit of help." He chuckled.

Araile smiled at his male bravado, it was refreshing to see a creature such as he with a sense of humor and he was trying to impress her. " Then you are quite the strong one to fight off that many ogres, if it was me I would have just fried them." She giggled, which was a strange sound to herself and walked towards him a little, admiring his toned stomach and arms. He wasn't a bad looking guy either, she could find herself losing sight of the possibility that he could be dangerous just by looking at him for too long. When at first he refused any help, she was actually kind of glad that she wouldn't have to go nearer to him just in case, but then he fell back against the tree again slid to the ground, he gladly welcomed her help and she strode over to him.
"You shouldn't push yourself too hard, we may be different but we definitely cant be immortal for too long." She looked at his wounds and then deftly ripped a long piece of fabric from her dress taking it about 4 inches shorter than it was. She began to wrap the cloth around the worst of the injuries first. "If there is anywhere you need to stop the bleeding immediately let me know." She bent over him and tied the knot in her homemade bandage.

"Eh there boys you lost the game fair and square!" Orlarae put her hands up from her sides, a orc pointing a gun at her. The drow had talked her way into letting her in on this back room poker game and she was just in the middle of cleaning the poor spods out then the orc accross from her got mad and stood up, pulling out a piece from his belt and pointing it at her while the others backed off some to give the two of them room. Orlarae just hoped her sleeves where hiding the cards she had hidden, "There is no way your that lucky dark skin!" The orc grunted, making Orlarae frown at the racial slur, "Yeah you know what, your right." She replied while slowly getting up from her seat, "But I'd put that gun away if you want to keep your arm." This confused the orc who believed he had the advantage until the dwarf who was beside him noticed the flames forming in her hands "Shit she is a mage!" The little man yelled, making the orc hesitate long enough to let Orlarae send a snake of fire through the barrel of his gun, ducking to the side as all the ammunition in his pistol cook off and the firearm blew up in the orcs hand, leaving a mess of meat as shrapnel flew around the room. The big man fell to his knees, clutching the stump of his hand while the other poker player, a human, reached for a gun in his belt, Orlarae reacted by sending a chilled whip through his arm and slicing his hand, cutting some ligaments so his hand was rendered useless before casting hold person on him. Turning to the dwarf last who shook in his boots looking up at her the drow women leaned down and got right in his face, "Boo!" She grinned and the dwarf feinted. Turning to the orc who was now squeezing what was left of his wrist to stop the bleeding she glared at him, "If you forget this happened I'll point ya in the direction of a good cleric to fix up that hand of yours." She gave him a wicked smile, "Or I can pit a shard of ice in your skull and make you forget everything cause you'll he dead." The orc quickly agreed, Orlarae leaving with all their cash before dropping off a business card a cleric she knew in the south end.

@DarkStarLove90

Darrken was light headed. He assumed it was from his wounds, but now he wasn't so sure. Her words were like soft music to his ears. He had always kept to himself. The only interactions he had with others always involved fighting. The meal he shared with the troll and the best-man was the first non-violent interaction he ever had with anyone. Now this lovely woman was fawning over him. Darrken had though he went to the underworld and was being tended by a demoness. Darrken was half demon, so heavenly angles weren't really his cup of tea.

He watched and almost fainted as he watched her tear off the bottom of her dress and bend over him and bandage his head. "If there is anywhere you need to stop the bleeding immediately let me know." As those words left her lips, the demon side of him piped up quickly in his head. Darrken grinned. "I'm actually hurt pretty bad on my..." He stopped himself. Surely he shouldn't be so crass to someone so lovely and so kind. He turned to his eleven side for a voice a reason. It just shrugged. Whether due to his injuries, or that somewhere down deep he had a little bit of decency in him, he decided not be be a total pig. "...head. It's just the side of my head that's hurt bad. The bandage should help me out." He said sheepishly.

Araile got done bandaging his head and stood up. "Thank you kindly." Darrken said to her, already beginning to feel a little of his strength return. "I can't thank you enough. You've done plenty and if you have somewhere to be, I'll be fine here. Else..." He started cocking his eyebrow up. "you are welcome to stay here if you'd like some company. I've never met a shape shifter before. I could regale you with tales of my daring deeds." He laughed despite himself.

Araile wiped her hands off on her dress and smiled at Darrken. "My name is Araile, and I do not mind the company at all, I have been alone for quite some time, its hard to trust people when I am the last of my kind. I'm so used to people hunting us down but I keep forgetting that its the 21st century not the 17th." She knew she had just put an age on herself, but he was a demon/elf so he had to have at least a century or two? Hopefully anyway. She sat down and crossed her legs, trying to be modest after she had used much of her dress to tend his wounds. She was shy around men mostly, and didn't really know what to do with herself, she was glad that she hadn't had to fry him, yet anyway.
Araile cleared her throat, "I don't mind stories, this may seem odd and out of place, but do you have anything to eat? I'm rather famished." Her stomach was in tight knots, half from worry that he would cut off her head at a seconds notice and half because she was starving. She hadn't eaten a thing in days, and she wasn't about to tell of her hunting down wild game just for a snack as her dragon form. Araile heard something behind her and she stopped, she slowly turned around and behind them was a tabby cat. Every muscle in her body went rigid and she whimpered. "Please, get that thing away from me."

Remes walked into the Latest Gossip , a pub which is great for those who want to know anything from murders to new poeple in town to even people who has a bounty on their head. Remes went to the barman and asked for a whiskey. As Remes sipped the drink, he asked the barman " Is there any interesting rumors?" The barman " Yes, indeed."

There are rumors that there is a demon of sorts wanted by the local church in the local forest and this demon is powerful although he is only a half breed. That is what the barman has heard. Then there was a commotion in the back. The barman said it was just poker. The noise grow louder. Remes paid the barman and went to investigate what was going on in there.

A drow came out quickly the with a big sack. Remes checked the room. It was a bloodbath. Remes went after the drow. The drow ,that can do that bloodshed, could be a useful asset for the days to come.

Xanti sat at the bar, gorging on the free peanuts, "Say, bartender, is there anything else for fr--"
The Dwarf pointed to the sign, "Peanuts free for patrons ONLY!"
"Y'know what that means? You're gonna have to buy something."
"Can I buy your wife?"
The dwarf looked angry, "NO! Now buy som--"
"Yeah, I shouldn't buy something that's already free." He cackled
The dwarf literally kicked him out into the street, "An' stay out!"
"Fine, ya bastard," he put his face up to the window, "I'm not inside, I'm not insi-ide!" He chanted loudly and obnoxiously.

@DarkStarLove90

Darrken jumped up in front of Araile and, despite the pain he felt running through his legs, was ready for a fight. He looked around expecting to see a damned hydra considering the day he's had so far. He looked around only to see a cat. He turned to Araile. "Is this some kind of shape shifter? Like an evil thing?" She didn't reply. She just sat, frozen in place with terror.

Darrken picked up the cat and held it to his face. "What are you? Are you an evil...thing come to kill her?" The cat looked at Darrken blankly. It then purred softly and licked his nose. "It's just a cat." Darrken said to Araile. She still sat frozen in horror. He sat the cat down and shooed it away. The cat meowed a few more times. When it realized it wasn't going to get any food it trotted away. "It's gone now." Darrken said, not questioning why she was terrified of a cat.

"Anyways, back to food." He said watching Araile relax a little. "About a few yards back I had a fire going with some fish. Somehow I didn't scarf them all down." With that he stood up and, feeling much better, led Araile to the clearing where the fire still smoldered. "Uh, ignore the dead armored guy." Darrken said, trying to kick him into the woods. They sat next to the pile of embers. There were still three uncooked fish sitting on a rock next to the fire. His strength having returned enough, Darrken turned his hand to iron and grabbed one of the fish. "Cooked or raw?" He asked Araile.

Araile watched in horror as Darrken picked the awful putrid thing called a cat up and let it lick his nose, she didn't know why she was so deathly afraid of them. Lord knows that she could eat them in her dragon form, but even then she steered clear of them, any feline, of any shape size and color. She stood, and looking over her shoulder the entire time made sure that the mangy thing wasn't following her, because if it was she would take to the skies till it was gone. She liked this strange Darrken and didn't feel the end or the want to leave his company just yet, she was glad she was wrong about the fear of him. She sat down on a log and laughed at his hurry to kick the dead man into the forest, "That's okay I have killed many men in my lifetime, no need to hide them from me. I fear I like the hunt, and humans was always the top of my menu when I was younger. And I would love a cooked one, I only eat raw when I'm a dragon." She smiled at him and brushed her hand through her hair.

The drow disappeared. Remes decided to stop going after the drow. Remes thought it was best to sleep a bit but not in town. He went back to the bridge where he killed the druid. On the way, he passed a gas station that had no one around besides the clerk in the shop. There was a car standing in the lot. Remes was curious. He looked inside. It looked it was more than car. A home.

Remes continued to the bridge and when he got there, the druid was still there. Remes decided to throw the corpse into the stream. Remes went under the bridge and slept. At fir Remes woke up and stood up. He stretched and went to find Darrken. Remes hopes he can find him. If Remes believes is true, then Darrken is the one in the rumours.

@DarkStarLove90 @fer1323

Darrken smirked when Araile mentioned killing men as he let the fish cook in his hand. He handed her the cooked fish and began to cook the other two. "Men are a terrible species in my opinion." Darkken said as Araile began to eat. "They hate me because I look different." Darrken paused, putting another cooked fish on a rock besides Araile. "Well, I mean, I do sometimes kill them indiscriminately, but that's neither here nor there."

For a little while longer Darrken and Araile talked. Darrken about his random adventures and Araile about life as a shape shifter. He found himself laughing and not out of a crazy blood-lust post fight come down. He was legitimately enjoying her company. It disturbed him a little bit. His demon side urged him to act on his basest instincts and this was the first time he had really ignored them.

As their conversations continued Darrken heard a rustle in the woods coming toward them. They both stopped talking and looked towards the source of the noise. "Someone's always has to ruin something." He muttered standing up in front of Araile, ready for anything. Slowly from out of the woods strode the beast-man. Darrken lowered his guard. "Welcome back." Darrken sighed.

KLANG...KLANG...KLANG...

The sound was rhythmic, constant, and annoying. However the workers didn't mind, in fact they were singing a tune to the beat as it went on by. Normally they would use machines or that dwarven blasting jelly but they had run out earlier that day and the drill was in for maintenance. The foreman, ever the work horse, made the men continue on without them. All in all it wasn't that bad, just a little more laborious than they would have liked. As the men continued to smash away at the rock, a large piece collapsed and unveiled a cavern. After clearing it out the entrance the miners decided to send in some guys to check it out, there hadn't been any reports of caves in this side of the mountain.

Sending in their biggest guy, an orc, along with several men, an elderly elf, and a dwarf to scope out the cave and see if anything of value was inside. However if there was not then they had at least found a break from using the pick axes, so that was a plus. As the group traveled the cave they found pretty much nothing. There were rocks, boulders, and more rocks. Nothing they could really turn a profit on, however that idea was changed when they found a skeleton clad in armor of the old kingdom. Curious, the group continued down the path and was perplexed by the growing amount of skeletons.

The elf was uneasy, shakily he said "This is an evil place...we should leave." as he grasped his amulet and began to pray to whatever god would listen. The others just laughed and continued forward. Soon the amount and frequency of skeletons grew until they made it too the end of the tunnel, what they saw gave them pause. There was a great many skeletons, all equipped with the highest quality arms and armor. However what shocked them most was the large crystal that dominated the center of the cavern opening. As the other minders whistled, scratched their heads, or just swore, the elderly elf bent down at a skeleton unlike the others.

While the others were knights and most definitely men, this one was clad in long rotten robes meant for a great sorcerer. Studying the body, the elf quickly deduced that the remains were elven and the staff was ornate. A mage himself, the elf picked up the staff and was surprised at the power that still resided within even after all these years. After a quick once over, it was easy to see that this staff was made by one of the masters back in the old country. Now the only question was, what was it doing here?

With the elf preoccupied, the other miners inspected what was around them. The dwarf had found the remains of one of his kin and gave him last rights before moving onto the dwarven runes surrounding the crystal. Most of the men were turning the bodies over onto their backs, due to the dead was always a give in. Afterwards they pilfered anything golden that they could weasel out of this cave. That left the orc. He didn't have any kin dead in this hole and as such was uninterested in the corpses. Moving up to the crystal, the orc put his hand against the dusty surface and wiped away the grime.

What lay behind the dirt caused the large orc to stand still with shock as the form of a great man came to vision. Quickly taking his flask of water, he doused the crystal and then took his shirt to wipe away all the dust that had accumulated for probably hundreds of years. When he was done the orc took a step back and gazed marvelously at the complete picture. Stuck behind the crystal was the preserved body of a great...man? However that's impossible, he had to bee at least a full head and shoulders taller than him and twice as wide. This creature was monstrous in size and clad in armor that would most likely haunt his dreams forever.

The others took notice of this and gathered around the imprisoned man, letting out murmurs of excitement. Tentativly, the old elf reached out and touched the surface of the crystal...imediatly drying up into dust as energy crackled around his body.

Cracks soon fallowed.

---

Ba bump...ba bump...ba bump..ba bump, ba bump, ba bump

His heartbeat rocketed pain through his body as it worked into overdrive. Opening his eyes in what felt like years, Archaeon was assaulted by brightness and an ugly face. With a snarl he pushed his fist forward and grabbed the offending skull, disappointed to see it crumble into dust inside his fingers. However what surprised him more was the sound of shattering glass. Pushing through the odd sound and his prison, Archaeon was again attacked by the sound of breaking glass. With his eyes now adjusted to the lights that his adversaries carried, Archaeon went into full battle mode and flung out a fist that shattered the face of the man in front of him then threw a chunk of his crystal prison at another which both shattered and pierced his form.

With some breathing room, Archaeon took a battle stance and said in a voice both gruff and velvet, "You have chosen a poor day to attack me south men." With a flourish of his hands, both sword and shield came to his hands in a flare of hell fire. Malice filling his voice, Archaeon barked "Pray to your weakling gods, for I shall surely send you to them."

---

Hours had come to pass and Archaeon was unsatisfied. The battle had been boring, the only being that posed a challenge was the orc but he was smaller and greener than the ones he had seen before. There was also the odd metal beasts that covered the opening to the cave. Curious, there had been no such creatures last he remembered. Spitting onto the ground Archaeon cursed the sorcerer, "Nathu'el, your gods have failed you as I knew they would." Looking up into the sky, Archaeon sneered and said "How does it feel to know that your attempt to trap me fell apart? How your meticulous planning left you nothing but a corpse on the floor?"

Giving a little chuckle, Archaeon was slightly disappointed that he wasn't the one to give the final blow to the sorcerer. The war god hated them and while Archaeon himself didn't much care, they were still an annoyance. Leaning onto a great tree next to a river, Archaeon banished his armor into the chaos realms which left him in the traditional warrior clothes of his war band. Using a knife he took from one of the dead, Archaeon began to carve the flesh off the ork's head. With his trophy belt gone, Archaeon had to start over. What better way to start if off with the first being that posed some sort of threat since his awakening.

@Nyther @DarkStarLove90

Sensing relief and some tension in Darrken, Remes could see why. Darrken is in rough shape and behind him is a female half-elf. "Sorry if I am intruding on your conversation." Said Remes looking a bit guilty. " I just got from town. I believe you are not foe but ally. After the first time we met, I think the people hunting you are wrong about you. " said Remes to Darrken. Remes walked over to the other side of the fire and sat down. "Besides I think you are capable of love and compassion." Said Remes gesturing to the other Half-elf. " You think you are strong alone. That may be true but how much stronger can you be with her?"

Araile was enjoying herself immensely, it had been a long time since she had let her guard down long enough to have a decent conversation. She realized how much she missed the company of someone else and she smiled, listening to Darrken talk about his past adventures, and he wasn't afraid to put in the gore and doom details. She heard a noise and she stopped talking and looked toward it, she saw Darrken get up and shield her and she almost laughed. Her dragon form was already beginning to ripple across her skin and she could change in the next second if needed. When Darrken seemed to know the beast man that walked out of the forest, Araile relaxed a bit, but her dragon form clung to her skin a little longer, just in case she told herself. While the beast man talked Araile ate the rest of her fish and wiped her hands on her dress, she looked down at it and figured she would need to go to her car sometime soon and get a change of clothes. She was still on the run from her last city, she had run into someone that she had crossed paths with about 100 years ago, that was still bent on tasting her blood. So she needed to get that car off the road or at least away from where she was hiding. She heard the beast man gesture towards her with words and she looked to see him pointing over at her too. "I'm sorry, I was lost in thoughts. Stronger with who?"

@DarlStarLove @Nyther
"You." Said Remes talking to the femal half-elf. "You both seem to have been alone for a long time. And what I meant was that you two are better off together than alone." Remes realized that he did not introduced himself to the female half-elf. " Excuse me, I have been rude. I am Remes. Nice to meet you."