Through the white noise that rang loudly in her head, another familiar, yet unwelcome voice reached out to her. It would have done her good to ignore it, Rosalie believed, but as it sounded closer, she grimaced, back-peddaling almost immediately. “Get your hands off of me!” she screeched, blindly flailing against the force that drew her in without hesitation, enveloping her in their arms. She wished it was her father - that somehow through all of what she had seen, he was still around and would come to her rescue. Instead, she was left to cling onto someone else for comfort. Could she really trust him? His words were soothing enough, and his voice was different to the one she had heard earlier, but what made him different from the monster who mercilessly tore through her father like a thin piece of cloth?

Rosalie continued to fight against being held and as she did, the realised that her struggles only caused the hold on her to become tighter. She cried out, feeling no more different than a trapped animal, and she would have continued with her pleas if she hadn’t felt hands -that turned her gaze upwards- over her face, one sliding down her cheek in what seemed to be attempted comfort. Rosalie blinked a couple of times and found her stare returned by Gore, but she did not cease her flailing. “No more! Please..just let me go. I can’t do this anymore..” The girl’s hands were raised in resignation, but as the dragon continued to ask for her attention, her incessant begging slowly came to a stop. It was difficult to focus given how desperate and panicky she was, but who was around that she could rely on? Gore had saved her before and he was right: he hadn’t failed. As mad as she was at him for shouting at her earlier, this wasn’t the time to be holding grudges.

Through all her tears, what the girl did notice was that the pair of reptillian eyes that gazed back at her were different from the earlier. Before she actually had time to discern the details and make a confirmation, an eerie roar sounded behind her, coaxing her -none too kindly- to duck against the safest place at the moment and that was against the crimson dragon - real or not. She held onto him, looking up at him with silent questions that rang loud in her mind as he jumped away with her. She didn’t know what to say and she also didn’t particularly feel like talking at the moment. She was scared to. Gore had said that this was an illusion, false imaginings that only weakened the mind and broke the spirit. Was that true?

It felt as if she had been robbed of her sight, yet she still felt her dragon with her. He was close by - that much she was sure of. The girl thought about what the dragon had said, repeating his words slowly. “Not true.. to the realm.. we belong to.” Meaning.. No.. It can’t be a dream.. can it? she continued in her head, hugging Gore to let him know she was still alive and with him. “You can’t.. really be here right now.. If it is a dream, how are we sharing it? How are you here?”

The cogs in her head were turning now as she thought back to what had happened earlier with more clarity, beginning to realise something that she had forgotten. She had gone to sleep complaining of the dragon’s manners, true, but she had not found Setton, yet. She had simply ‘woken up’ to him being there for her with no memory in between of how she had met up with him again. There was no memory of it because, “it never happened.?..” Rosalie wiped her tears. She knew she was going to loathe herself for crying over spilt milk once she woke up.

Rosalie found Gore’s wrist and took it in her hands as she stepped away from him to be sure that he was still there and that she didn’t lose him in the dark. It didn’t stay pitch black for long, though, as everything around her began to light up. She blinked, raising an arm to shield her eyes as they adjusted and once they did, she found herself free to look around. Her gaze swept over Gore twice, noticing the numerous wounds that marked his skin. “Are..are you alright?” She asked. There was genuine concern on her face as she inspected a claw mark over his chest, grimacing slightly. It may have just been a dream, but it was too real for her to be comfortable with his given state. She rested a gentle hand on his arm. “You, um.. said they were losing their control on this illusion, right?” Rosalie hesitated from time to time as she spoke, stepping closer to him as she heard the groans of animated corpses from somewhere behind. If what Gore deducted was true, then they wouldn’t have anymore problems, right?

She closed her eyes, took in a deep breath, and felt her side for the knife she always kept with her. She didn’t think her fingers would meet anything, but when they brushed against the cool handle of the blade, she almost jumped for joy.
”You’ll never be able to leave..” There was that voice again. Rosalie hid behind Gore, but instead of keeping her gaze to the ground, she was looking for its source. It didn’t echo like it had the last time and it sounded closer. Much, much closer.
As she continued to scan her surroundings, the girl then noticed a faint shadow standing in front of them, growing slightly darker as it started to take shape and solid form, a person seemingly materialising right before her eyes as she continued to observe with wariness and curiosity on her features. It made Rosalie look back and forth between the newcomer and Gore, glaring at the duplicate dragon who couldn’t help but greet them with a dark smile and a flash of his fangs. She knew where it was going, but ended up taking a hesitant step forward to stand her ground.

”I thought I’d just return this to you. He’s your father, isn’t he, mistress?” The dragon gestured but she dared not look away. It could have been another one of his tricks.
“You killed him..” Rosalie mumbled, biting her lip. “None of this is real.”
“And you’re right, dear.” At that tone of voice, the girl straightened, afraid to turn around but forced herself to while taking in a deep breath. She found Setton smiling at her while holding out his hand. “What you saw earlier wasn’t real either. Step away from the dragon.. he’s dangerous, you know.” Her father took another step closer but not as close so as to push her dragon into action. “That is only an example of what Gore is capable of if you continue to keep him. You’ve seen that when you first saw this ancient beast fight, didn’t you? The number of people he killed? There’s no telling when he’d finally snap and I don’t want my daughter anywhere near such a monster.” Setton sent a frigid stare Gore’s way. “He’ll kill you when you least expect it.”

Looking between the faces of those who surrounded her, she slowly approached her father, movements slow and ponderous as she looked into her father’s eyes. She was reminded, at first, of the warmth and love she felt whenever around him, but also reminded of the glassy stare she had seen when that fire finally died out. Rosalie bit the inside of her cheek, steeling herself as she approached her father with a weak smile on her face. “Then..what about mum? Can we go and see her?”
“Yes, dear. You know I love your mother very much.” Setton smiled, beckoning her closer with arms held wide open. “We can be a family again.” He whispered lovingly in her ear when she embraced him with an apology that confused him. “Why are you-“ he began asking when a sharp, hot pain caught him in his shoulder, stunning him just long enough for him to receive a knee to his stomach that knocked the air out of him and forced him to fall into a crouch.
“Don’t even try to be him.” She warned angrily as the world around them seemed to distort a few seconds before snapping back into place. It made her realise how fragile this ‘realm’ as Gore had called it, was. Her knife, that had belonged to her mother, was pointed toward him in a manner that only dared him to take a step toward her.

_

The girl wore a somewhat quizzical expression, Aisen realised as he glared up at her from his position, despite her strong tone of voice. Looking into her eyes, he saw that she was still unsure of what to expect. This world that he had spun to ensnare them was a dream, yes, but bordered on reality as well. It was, in all truth, a double-edged blade of sorts; he was able to inflict pain but also have the same dealt to him given the chance that they figured it out. “Damn dragon.” He growled as he bit back a hiss of pain and annoyance, holding his arm in attempt to stem the flow of blood while forcing himself to his feet.

The image that he held of Setton fell away at his command like shards of a mirror grinded to dust and he lurched forward to grab the girl by the wrist when she least expected him to move. What was the point of pretending to be her father for any longer? His hold on this dimension was slipping and time was quickly running out. He had only learnt the skill recently. It was a fair amount of time invested in learning it, but not long enough to master it. Perhaps I was too hasty, Delna.. You were right about that. He thought to himself, calling the wisps of darkness to gather around his arm and hand, forming a claw shape over his finger tips and shielding his already injured arm from further damage as he then attempted to disarm her. Her struggles would be pointless in a few seconds, Aisen firmly believed. While he dealt with her, the duplicate Blood Dragon would be more than enough to keep Gore busy as already, the duplicate was running forward with this as a distraction.

Feeling Rosalie resist and fight him only made him wince all the more from how many wounds he had. With a quick shake of his head, Gore looked at her.
"All throughout the day, I had felt something dark..Aye much like the lad and lasses dark spells used upon me on me the eve you and I first met. After encountering the sensation, I have little to no doubt that it is the very same foul incantations that bind our dreams together. After ye said all ye did about me..I felt that coming to you about this would only further your discomfort of owning me.. After all, Rosalie, I am at fault for bringing this down upon you. The Blood Dragon..of course the realm loathes me, much like you do..and there are those out there who would go to great lengths to bring me and anyone near me harm."
looking over his owner, Gore only wished that he could answer more of her questions but that is all he really knew. Not even fully believing she was real, it was his vow to protect her and care for her and unlike any filthy human, words held a greater sway to a Dragon. Especially once it was spoken in faith and promise.
"Aye lass, nay did any of what occurred during this wretched nightmare has actually fallen in our lives, unfortunately for the conjurer of this farce, he dabbled in something of my life that they knew little about.." As the Blood Dragon spoke, he was actually shaking. Whatever he saw clearly cut him deeper than he was showing.
__

Looking up when his owner called for him, The ancient Dragon let out a surprised huff at her question. Did this girl actually care for him now? After everything she had made him feel responsible for? Honor alone made the Blood Dragon feel guilt toward anything that could or would happen to the humans he resided with at the moment and this very girl has gone out of her way to add onto that. Never good enough, never worth it and always trouble..
"..Mistress hah, I am all too familiar with pain, the many seasons have not been kind and I doubt these will be the last I receive before shedding this illusion apart from us.." Looking at the claw marks over his chest and even the fang wound he received looked like it would kill a human. Dragons were stronger in this form as well but even still, moving as much as he did? it couldn't have felt good. "Aye lass, all is well with me, what of you? You are looking better, are ye finally believing my words? If ye are, then aye they are losing control..the moons sway and the visions that follow at night are ours to venture.. No magic could take that away and as long as we know that, as long as we believe such truths? They will lose their power over what we see and what can be done."

The dark voice that rang through both him and the human girl seemed to be coming from the front. Despite how anxious he felt at their surroundings and what was happening, the darkness..as awful as it was to him? He wanted to rip the duplicate apart like an animal. How insulting was it to have someone else attempt to mimic you in such foul ways? Clenching his claws into fists, he stared coldly at copy. A look that just bled full of dark intentions that only the mind behind those eyes could see.
That is when the false voice of her father came from behind them, only Gore's eyes didn't sway at all. When Rosalie left his hold to go to him, the Blood Dragon actually tried to hold her close but she seemed to know what had to be done. Looking back at the false Dragon, his dark teal eyes fell to the floor as he shook with resentment. Everything he had seen..Parts of his heart were crying out in pain and his memory was thrashing him. Allies lost, tears shed and the loneliness that followed..Just because history depicted him a monster didn't mean he wasn't lonely, that he missed his old life before all of this. That is when he heard a knife impale something, making his eyes widen in shock.

The visions of pain started to blur, making Gore start to take deep breath after deep breath. Rosalie was struggling, fighting to keep herself from falling like she did when he found her and Aisen or Setton or whoever the damned human was, wasn't letting her go.
That's when a dark laughter came from the real Gore.
"Hahahahahaha! You..damned fool..coming into my dream, attempting to sway my heart and that of my mistress?" Gore looked up at the impostor, showing his fangs. "This pathetic mirrored image of me could nay EVER be the true Blood Dragon!" With that, the impostor tried to rush Gore, only to be grabbed and pulled in close.
"My memories are not yours to mettle with, human..." With that, Gore started to shift into his Dragon form, actually ripping the impostors arm off from the sheer weight change of what was holding him. Wings shot out and unfurled as Gore grabbed the false impostor, swallowing him whole.

That is when the scenery changed entirely, the group would find themselves in a fiery lit pit, surrounded by Dragons all snarling at them, growling and ready to rip them to shreds. There were symbols on the wall and the pit seemed to have Dragons circling them.
Turning around, Gore's eyes blazed with hatred, staring at Aisen with all of his ferocity.
"Welcome to my realm..wretch." Gore took a step closer, snarling at the human before taking off. If he threatened Rosalie, the Dragons would shoot forward and attack him but even if he didn't..the Dragons were still growling in an attempt to distract the man.
Gore let out a loud roar as he quickly dove toward the pair, shifting mid-flight and actually using the force of his descent to grab Aisen by the face and slam him down into the ground, using his claw to try and slice off his arm in the process. The second the Blood Dragon acted, the other Dragons around them roared and charged forward.

Gore quickly grabbed Rosalie when he could, shifting again and putting her on his back before taking off, flying toward the exit of the pit. Whatever happened to Aisen didn't matter..
By the time they got to an exit, the scenery changed again only to find this one in first person for both parties. The darkness in which they sensed seemed gone and what was left was how the other felt in the dream. Sadness...

In the new dream, from first person it looked as if Gore was standing in front of other Dragons in his true form, talking to those gathered in a half circle.
"Brothers and sisters..please heed my warnings for what you plan with these humans..they are liars and betrayers! Even now they attack one another for food and a mate! They will grow but what they will grow into..it will divide us!" Shouted Gore, only to be scoffed at. The scenery once again changed to the first meeting of Dragons and humans which did not look at all like a battlefield, but instead something meant for peace. Once again it changed, only this time through the eyes of Gore, the two would witness a group of humans whipping, stabbing and beating a blue Dragon, a Dragon that wasn't fighting back at all and only seemed to whimper. It was crying. The Dragon looked as if it didn't hurt anyone, there was no blood on its claws or teeth but instead looked more like a pet being beaten for enjoyment by sadists. Gore quickly tried to help him, only to be bombarded with arrows and finally..the dark magic over-took him. Wrapping around him and slamming him into the ground hard. This must have been the first time he was captured and turned. His dark teal eyes and what could be seen by the two dreamers was his gaze, lingering on the blue Dragon with a deep sense of pain and sorrow.
"LEAVE HIM ALONE!" Gore roared, struggling as knives were impaled into the blue Dragons wings, ripping into them so he wouldn't be able to fly. All the Blood Dragon could do was cry as the assault continued in front of him. a voice spoke out to him, making him look up.

The one speaking had an odd sense of familiarity to the two. Looking closely at the chin and ears and even eyes..Marion's facial features were obvious.
"This is what happens to Dragons who won't submit..watch it!" The man wrapped his arms around Gore's face, pinning him there to force him to watch.

"Mistress..I think it is time to wake..to wake up.." The real Gore said in a pained voice.
__

With that, Gore shot up in the shed with a sharp pain in his chest. Tears were falling down his cheeks and he shook his head. He had to get ready for the day...

It was a struggle trying to keep on her feet against a man who was taller than she was and a lot stronger, but she made up for that by being mindful of where she stepped and how she moved around Aisen. The claws were digging into her skin like an owl’s talons clasping around prey caught in the night, eliciting a cry of pain from her as she shifted to try and ease the pain but not so much as to give Aisen an opportunity to overwhelm her. A few unsavoury words from him were tossed her way in a low mutter that seeped with just as much hatred as the murderous look in his eyes, threatening her to back down while she could. With his tall and strong build, it was obvious who had the upper hand and the girl was forced back quite a bit. ‘No, no, no..’ Rosalie thought to herself, fighting to keep hold of her knife. If she could think of a knife to conjure up in this dream of hers, couldn’t she think of another thing to help her?
‘Focus.’ She told herself and it was what she was trying to do until the appearance of dragons in the peripheral of her vision caused her mind to go blank with fear. Snarling and snapping, the jaws of the dragons were lowered a little too close for comfort, but at least it provided a distraction that had Aisen forget about her for a few seconds. She backed away, unsure of where to hide as she looked up at the creatures looming tall, proud and honourable above her. It was then that she realised these dragons, whoever they were, held themselves well and not like the mindless beasts that she believed they were. Their eyes, gleaming with tamed ferocity, seemed to stare down at Aisen as if their gazes held weight against him. Rosalie’s breath caught in her throat and she bit back a whimper as she used this chance to push herself away from the man and scramble away. Where to? She didn’t know. She didn’t know if the dragons were friendly and she’d rather not push her luck by deciding to hide behind where they were perched. In this field, it was clear the dragons had the upper hand, able to see the goings on before them.

She had braced herself for when the dragons would attack her, but they didn’t. They continued to snarl at her attacker like they were distracting them. That had to be it, Rosalie realised, slowly straightening while deciding to put her knife back at her side just in case. She didn’t want to be thought of as a threat. If anything, they were more of a threat to her, but she was glad she wasn’t the one in the centre of their attention. ’What is this place?’ Rosalie wondered, taking a moment to look away and glance at the strange symbols on the walls. Despite fascination causing her gaze to turn, she still kept watch over Aisen out of the corner of her eye.
It was only when she heard Gore say that it was his realm did things begin to make more sense. It would explain the number of dragons and the shift in scenery -for which she was somewhat thankful for and would have genuinely been even more grateful if she hadn’t been surrounded by dragons.

Rosalie knew Gore had disposed of the imposter, and he now had his attention on Aisen. As impressive as the crimson dragon was in dealing with her attacker, the girl had to turn away at the last second to avoid seeing the aftermath of his attack. What passed by went in a blur: Dragons attacking, Aisen’s being obscured by the charging dragons’ bodies, and then she was on Gore’s back, clinging onto his scales to keep herself from falling off. Leaning forward, it took all she had not to turn back and see what had happened to her attacker. “Thank you,” she breathed, resting her head against his neck for a few moments as the wind rushed by her. For a dream, it felt so real. Her wrists hurt from her encounter with Aisen and, she thought while biting her lip, they’d be lucky to wake up feeling as if they’ve had a good night’s rest. However, there was one thing she wondered.

Leaning back a bit, she stared ahead, looking over the top of Gore’s head as the darkness of the cave was quickly being replaced by fast-approaching light. However, it was not the skies that greeted them both, and something else that left the girl confused for a good few moments. What was going on? It felt rather gloomy all of a sudden. She watched what transpired before her quietly, understanding that this was all before her time but a few of what Gore had gone through. Was this the same Blood Dragon she had with her now?

There was a blue dragon that Gore was trying to defend and for the first time, she saw how cruel people were. She saw what the Blood Dragon did and she had to cover her eyes. It did nothing to drown out the sounds of the blue dragon’s suffering. It was difficult to watch and it was only through the little bit of courage that she mustered up did she decide to peek around her fingers at the scene of cruel treatment. She bit her lip, feeling sympathetic for the dragon and upset that the treatment didn’t seem justified despite what the ones dishing out this treatment thought. It was unfair, and she didn’t think she’d ever believe it, but that dragon didn’t deserve it. Not like this. “G-Gore?.. who’s that dragon you were trying to protect?” Her voice was pathetic even in her own ears. She was using Gore as a distraction for herself, not wanting to see anymore of what was being done and it might have been obvious, but she didn’t care. Gore had already seen her at one of her breaking points. She disliked it, but who else did she have to rely on? Rosalie did not have the chance to speak anymore even as she drew in a shaky breath, a voice she and Gore remember quite well gaining their attention. Marian’s face was as clear as day. This confirmed that this particular.. memory -if she could call it that- might have been a more recent one compared to the others.

“Isn’t that..,” she began just as Gore had, trailing off straight afterward.

-

Rosalie woke up when she rolled right off her bed, falling onto the carpeted floor with a muffled thump and a suppressed groan. For a moment, she just stayed as she was, sprawled out on the ground without a care in the world as her mind slowly came back into focus. It took a few seconds for her to remember the crazy dream she had and she began to groggily pull herself up with as much energy as someone who had only taken an hour nap as opposed to someone who had gotten a full night’s rest. She started rubbing her eyes, wincing when she found her wrists hurt from the mere action. “What?” was her mumble as she pushed herself up with a groan, staggering a bit as she moved along the walls for support. Passing a mirror, she only stared for a bit, taking in her dishevelled for only a few seconds before stumbling on. She wasn’t lively enough to even care at this point, but something caught her attention that made her move back to the mirror and pay more attention to her arms. They were red around her wrists with a couple of scratches around her wrists. “Wait..,” The girl leaned forward, not quite believing what she saw before looking down at herself, gasping at the injury she had sustained from the ‘dream.’ Dreams didn’t work like that, did they? Rosalie shook her head, sure that it didn’t. The bruises she had gotten were there, and the cuts were actually seeping a bit of red.
Being quite early in the morning, the girl doubted anyone would be up, but still, she should at least bandage herself up and get ready. As sleepy as she was, she didn’t think she could sleep after.. That. She shuddered at the thought, wiping at a few tears that sprang forth as she was reminded of what exactly happened. Even if it wasn’t real, it was real enough to break her. She wasn’t sure if she was for eating breakfast, but she might as well get something considering that she had skipped out on dinner the night before.

-

Patched up and wearing a thin sweater to cover her arms, Rosalie went about with making herself breakfast, opting for the easy option of toast and scrambled eggs, thinking all the while; If she had gotten hurt and kept the injuries from her dream, did that mean Gore was in the same boat? ’Then again..it’s impossible that Dream Gore is the same as.. actual Gore. It didn’t seem plausible in the least. She was ready to dismiss the thought when she saw Gore heard footsteps come in from the kitchen doorway. She turned, fearing that it was Aisen, but upon seeing Gore, she relaxed a little.

Her first instinct was to pull him aside and ask him some questions about her dream whilst being vague, her second was to tell him all about her strange dream and how it turned out differently than most, and thirdly was to ignore him. The last one made her stop. She oddly didn’t want to ignore him. She wanted to speak to him. She needed to speak to him as there was nothing more she wanted at this moment than to have someone to talk to.

She took in a deep breath. “Good morn...uhh...” her eyes trailed over the gashes that ran over his chest, widening a bit before she forced herself to regain composure. “Gore?..” The gashes, she realised, were the exact same that she had seen in her dream, the same angle, the same.. everything, Rosalie believed. She warily approached him, and in the way she did, it was clear that she was still a bit shaken up from the dream as her movements were awkward and she seemed afraid to accept what she was seeing before her. “Does that mean.. Umm.. that dream really happened and that it was actually you in it?” The young woman paced about a bit, taking deep breaths as she fought to keep herself calm. “Are you sure you’re alright? That doesn’t seem fine at all.” She dared to lean closer and inspect his injuries, careful not to prod to hard and wincing at the extent of them. “I know I’m not still dreaming.” Rosalie muttered under her breath. “How are you still standing? Unbelievable.. but I’m glad. Dragon of legend or not, wait here.” She took his wrist in her hands in an attempt to guide him -if he let her- to a seat where she insisted that he sit down before she would go up to her room and grab the medical kit.

Forcing himself to stand up, The Blood Dragon ran his crimson scaled claw over the wound he sustained within then nightmare.
"Damned wretch.." Letting out a soft groan under his breath, the ancient headed toward the house to take care of his cuts and prepare breakfast for the family who either enjoyed his company or scorned him for being there. These humans were so damn confusing and even mentioning the arena made the twins eyes light up like fireworks. Was it worth it? These thoughts crossed Gore's mind while entering the home, only to stop at the sight before him. His owner..what was she doing awake this early?!
"Aye..good morning mistress." With that, he headed over to the sink, staring at it for a minute with a growl. That's when his eyes widened at how he didn't answer her question about the blue Dragon, the sight was too painful and even now? In the real world it was worse. His gaze broke from the sink, stepping forward to use it. It was obvious that in his ancient ways, Gore wasn't used to the contraption before him. After all his most recent memory of gathering water was through a well and in rivers. With a faint sigh, he didn't look up when she mentioned his name. That tone..she sounded so conflicted that even she must not realize last night was genuinely him yet.

Quickly turning to face her, Gore tilted his head at his owner. Rosalie was moving as if she had been struck clear to the core and for once, his own feelings had reflected back at him from one of them. Looking down at her, the scent of copper was stronger now and it was coming from her covered up arms.
"Aye, 'twas me lass. Whomever wished harm upon you only attempted to do so because of me. It appears owning the Blood Dragon brings forth a hazard as well. Little had I known of the enemies I have made, I had thought that the sadist whom invaded our dreams..and had caused us to witness such horrid events, had gotten his fill when they attempted to re-educate me. The sick bastard held a grin on his face every time they carved into my wings and scales, pulling at them like..." Clenching his fist, he quickly shook his head while trailing off. Things like that shouldn't be spoken to a human, let alone a girl who just suffered through something as traumatic as what she did. As what they both did..
"Mistress --" Watching her pace around caused him to smile. Despite his loathing of their kind, she seemed rather cute the way she paced around and looked lost as to what happened. Was she new to the cruelty of magic users? Gore couldn't tell but either way it was an interesting sight to see. Tensing up out of reflex from when she got close, he stared at her with confused eyes. She looked as if she actually cared, after everything that happened the prior evening, everything she said about how he was a monster and how merciless he was made him question what she was thinking now.

Feeling the rather short girl pull on him, at least short for him, made him smile. When she sat him down and checked over his gashes and wounds, he sighed and looked down at her wrists.
" 'Tis hard to fell a Dragon, It's harder to end me. Though I may be more fragile in this form, aye.. I am still Dragon. Wounds obtained from battle are easiest to endure.. We were bred for conflict, hunting is our heritage, 'tis our way of feeding ourselves as well as staying strong, proving our strength to others." Looking up into the girls eyes, he actually noticed a type of pride, as if she was glad to know he could take such a thrashing from someone and still keep going.
"Hah, nay..dreaming you aren't lass. Dragon of legend..such a title had only formed over my stubbornness. Ever since I was a whelp, I was as stubborn as I was foolish. Always pushing passed any pain and fighting until my body betrayed me and fell of its own accord.." Dark teal eyes widened at what was being spoken, making him blink from how open he was being with a human of all things. Perhaps having her see parts of his life was making it difficult to stay silent.

Once Rosalie returned and started to patch her Dragon up, Gore's hadn't faltered since.
"Mistress..you need not worry over my wounds, I heal quickly and I should be fine within the next few days. What of you?..Your clothing may fool others but it fails to fool me.." Looking over her hands, he wanted to make sure she was alright but at the same time, didn't reach for them. If he grabbed her to try and inspect how badly she was hurt, he would only make it worse. With a sigh, Gore's gaze finally fell to his lap while she tended to his body.
"Mistress..allow me to hold word with you." Looking up at his owner, his dark teal eyes lingered for a moment before continuing. "The seasons that have come to pass have held..many a thing, but..what you have witnessed, it was..it was of a nature no other has truly seen and no human should have seen such a thing.." Looking over her small frame, he wondered if she could really handle seeing something like that and actually come out unscathed.
"Hah, never mind Rosalie..I am merely taken back that my life had been out in the open in such a way..It concerns me as to what you may think." For once during this whole event of being owned and claimed by a human, through all the years that passed? Gore actually felt vulnerable. He felt as if parts of his life were now going to be dissected and brought out for all to see and then what would follow would be cruel words and attempts to bring back old memories of pain. Humans were cruel..

Looking over the bandages that now seemed to wrap around him, the Blood Dragon smiled at her, bowing his head. No Dragon would be used to feeling grateful toward any of their kind so it was an unusual feeling for Gore to have.
"Thank you, mistress..and, thank you for your kindness. Earlier within our shared dream, you had thanked me which is nay something I am used too..hah you had even thanked me when we first first met and that itself shocked me quite a bit..I know that you see me as a monster but things such as that do not go unnoticed. So..thank you." With a smile, he stood up and sighed.
"Shall I start on breakfast? I feel as if I should hurry before the older man wakes up, his disdain for me is painfully obvious." Said Gore, thinking that his owners disdain also seemed to be at hand as well. Whether or not she still felt that anger toward him wasn't known but he didn't want to push his luck. Rosalie calling him a monster still stuck with him, even if he was such a thing.

Moving over to the counter, The ancient Dragon started to gather ingredients to make a decent sized breakfast, feeling his own stomach growl while he was preparing the meal. Attempting to ignore it, he continued cooking for the family and before long, an entire meal of scrambled eggs, bacon, toast and other parts to a breakfast were all placed on the table. Looking over at Rosalie, he seemed to feel the same way she did. Maybe they should talk about what happened, Ever since the beginning, she spoke of finding her father and had even asked him for his aid and now? After watching her react to such a traumatic sight? Only made him wish that he could help her further.
"Rosalie --" Shaking his head, he decided there was only one way to shorten her name that he hadn't heard yet. "Forgive me for this but..May I call you Ro? I feel as if me calling you by your full name is meant for a parent whom is frustrated with their child.. Your culture shows that anyway." If she said yes, he would not and continue calling her that, but if she didn't he would simply go about using her full name.
"Ro, whatever you had seen in your dream, I..I wish to tell you that where ever your father is, we will find him.. You had asked for my help and I will try and help you in your search.. Where ever he is, we will find him.." With that, Gore nodded. Only to have his stomach growl even louder.

With a shake of his head, Gore would continue trying to serve breakfast until finally his hunger began to force his hand.
"Mistress..may I please be excused to go hunt?.. I have held this form long enough and I..I am rather hungry." He exclaimed, looking at her in hopes she'd let him. If she did, he would immediately head to the door after thanking her, taking flight and heading off.
__

A short time later..

Johnathan Clearwater woke up with anger still in his eyes. Both at his children and the destroyed weapon. Heading downstairs, he found a breakfast waiting as well as Rosalie, staring at her.
"Morning Rosa..Would you mind if we talked?" He asked, seeming to not come off as aggressive as he did the prior evening. "Did you make all of this?" He asked, rather shocked to see a full spread meal, sitting down next to her, he just nodded before starting to dig into an omelette that was prepared.
"Rosa, I need to ask you a few things..What were you thinking buying that monster? It's a danger to everyone around and not just that, it's an animal! Why would you even buy him? For profit? Are you planning to make a living off of this beast or did'ja think of something else to use it for? Everything we've heard about that..thing has been full of blood and death..Do you really think it will stick by you and keep its word?!" Exclaimed John, clearly disturbed that she went and bought him without much of a thought. He hated the Dragon and that was obvious considering he called him an "it"..

Rosalie had nodded slowly as soon as Gore confirmed that it was really him that was in the dream with her. It obviously meant that they had shared the same events that had occurred. The girl never thought that she would ever, in her entire life, feel as if her privacy had been breached through her dream. She wasn’t aware of an incident like this at all happening to anyone else, and if it had, she hadn’t been much of one to watch the news. She continued to watch Gore after he went to the kitchen sink, the girl moving out of his way while noting the look he had in his eyes this morning. Again, it was another emotion that was an unfamiliar sight on a familiar face that usually portrayed determination and pride. ’Sorrow.’ Rosalie thought to herself, moving a hand over her wrist as her gaze dropped to the kitchen floor. “Sorry.. but you’re going to have to tell me sometime whether you like it or not. People are coming after you and I’m being targeted, too. I think I deserve some answers.” Like he was troubled over what he had seen, so was she. For her, it was her father, someone who she treasured and considered very close to her. For Gore? She was unaware of who the blue dragon was, but going by her theory, it was someone important to him.

The girl thought back to the way he had acted and had held himself when the blue dragon was being mistreated. It was a reaction that Rosalie thought was uncharacteristic of Gore, but perhaps she was seeing something else to him and he definitely was more than what history had taught. “I.. definitely would have liked a heads up or something either way. It also makes me wonder..” Rosalie mumbled, rubbing her arm as she thought of Setton’s demise in the dream. There was one thing she was wondering, and that was if she and Gore had kept the injuries from their shared dream, would her father have felt any pain from it or did it only effect people who were actually involved in the dream? She shook her head, causing her hair to fall into her eyes at the action. “Never mind.” If it had been the latter, she hoped what she had done to Aisen served as a warning for him not to impersonate anyone close to her. She would have liked it to have gone differently, though. “Gore? Question: Who was that man, anyway? I know I’ve seen him around.. same time as you, actually, but he seems to pop up persistently from what you’ve said and what I’ve seen..”

Through all her pacing, the girl remained oblivious to her dragon’s watchful gaze. If she had been aware, she would have stopped altogether and stood still, but how was this not a moment to pace? It helped calm and distract her from the issue more than it would if she had stood rooted to the spot. “I.. never thought I’d hear a dragon say something like that.. ever.” It was odd holding conversation with Gore and, because of how out of place it felt, she didn’t know what to say. Now that she had the chance to talk to him, what she had in mind suddenly had a degree of difficulty leaving her mouth. She wasn't as comfortable talking to Gore as she was with her brothers, but there was no doubt that they would think she had gone insane if she told them about her dream and backed it up by showing them her injuries. It was a bad idea to raise some questions that she could not provide the answers to.

Almost a month had gone by and she had given him nothing but commands, and for once, having to sit down and chat was interestingly strange for her, but welcomed. As she tended to him, she nodded her head a bit to show that she was listening. She understood that Gore would be fine since he’s still moving about almost like nothing had happened - though a little bit more wary. Despite that, however, she didn’t think it was wise for him to walk around while literally a bloody mess. Mr. Clearwater wouldn’t appreciate that much and she could just imagine his anger if he found the dragon bleeding all over his kitchen. “This is nothing compared to what you’ve done for me..” Started Rosalie, trailing off for a bit before speaking again, “I won’t list it all down.. and in short, I owe you.” She sighed, leaning back once she was done, packing up her medical kit and setting it to the side for now. As Gore asked about her condition, Rosalie folded her arms, hiding a wince as she did so. “I’d rather have it as just enough to fool the others than have them question me over what happened. I wouldn’t have the answers to that. In fact.. how am I supposed to explain anything?” She whimpered, pursing her lips into a thin line.
“I.. I understand that no person should ever see that. They’d have just as much trouble coming to terms with it as I am now.. or maybe they would do so much better.” She laughed nervously, changing the subject quickly when she began to tear up. “I’ll admit that I’m curious..” Hesitantly, the girl clapped a hand over his shoulder, squeezing lightly for his reassurance just as much as it was for hers. “I’m going to try and be open- minded here, and don’t make me regret it. What I saw back there.. The cave, its markings, and the dragons, themselves..” She withdrew her hand just in case and held it behind her back because she knew she was treading over ice as she listed these things down; “A discussion over dragons and humans standing on the same side and no battlefield, along with how you reacted to our treatment of that blue dragon. Just really what happened back then? I know I keep bringing up what I’ve been taught, but what I’ve been believing my whole life.. it was all a lie, wasn’t it?.. You reacted in a way I never thought I’d see you act in that dream, too.” Rosalie pointed out, staring him down. “Now’s your chance to tell me. If not, I won’t ever bring it up.” The girl then gave Gore a few moments for her words to settle with him, giving him time to think.


She then mumbled a few things regarding what Gore had said about gratitude, blinking when he had thanked her back, retreating back to the kitchen sink for now. ’Is it really that strange?’ There was a subtle shrug of her shoulders as she thought to herself.
Being time that Gore get on with breakfast, she dug into her own that she had made, looking out the window in contemplation while Gore cooked. He was doing pretty well adapting to the appliances, she’d give him that. Of course, she wouldn’t say it out loud anytime soon. And while she ate, most of her time was spent staring out the window, mind still lingering on the dream she had. A shared dream was the strangest and last thing she would even consider. It happened, though, and it wasn’t the best of ones, either.

Rosalie finished her breakfast and stood a bit away from Gore as she waited for him to finish so she could wash her plate, sending sidelong glances at him from time to time. It wasn’t because he had asked her a question, either, but she decided to ignore what she was hearing for now. When he called her name, however, she jumped a little, believing that he had caught her looking at him. “Uhh.. Ro?” An odd shortening of her name. She’d never heard anyone call her that before, but she liked it better than Gore calling her mistress all the time. “Go ahead.” She mumbled with a nod of consent. “And it’s not that bad.” She shot back in a non-offensive tone. “But thank you for your reassurance.. I really needed th-“ Rosalie stopped when she realised that she wasn’t hearing things, biting back a weak smile. “When was the last time you had something to eat, Gore? You can only if you promise to be careful and keep yourself out of sight. I would like a break from a bit of trouble now and then.”

_

Rosalie decided to linger in the kitchen for a while, hoping she’d see one of the brothers up and, spinning around with a hopeful look that feel as quickly as if she had dropped a plate, she managed a small and nervous smile at John Clearwater. “Good morning, Mr. Clearwater.” She sat down when he asked to talk, shaking her head at the question of making breakfast. She had only watched, she told him, leaning back to wait for his response, half flinching and half holding her ground.

“I bought him because I needed the help. I was thinking that he might be able to search for.. Setton?” She heard her voice waver for a bit and stopped herself, taking in a deep breath. “Don’t you wonder where he’s gotten off to? His letters have stopped coming and I’m worried.. I know I should have discussed this with you first because you’re a guardian to me just as my father was.. Is...” Rosalie corrected herself. She wouldn’t give up on trying to find him. Just because he had stopped writing to her didn’t mean something bad had happened.. Right? “Yes, maybe I’m desperate.. and yes, maybe I’m an idiot to think this, but I thought that if I have the Blood Dragon, people seeking him are likely to know where my father is. I may also be taking a gamble in believing that he might be able to keep me safe while I continue my search. It could even be a death wish later on, but right now, I just want to see my dad and know that he’s okay. I hate going on without him. I’ve lost my biological parents and I don’t want to lose.. him. Gore hasn’t attacked anyone and he’s been here for quite a bit.”

Chewing on her cheek, Rosalie paused for a moment, afraid of angering the man further. “I understand that I’m burdening your family, and I will find a way to repay you for taking me in at my father’s request. I apologise for last night and will be replacing your gun.” She had a melancholic tone to her even though her face may not have shown anything - at least Rosalie hoped it didn’t. “I’m going to find him. I need to and.. I’m also sorry in advance for saying this but there’s no way of knowing what really happened. Saying that ‘history was written by the victor’ could describe this. Gore could just be defending himself and we’re just as cruel..” Rosalie was mumbling to herself now, keeping her gaze averted. “Uhh.. Is there anything more to discuss, Mr. Clearwater?”

The girls gaze seemed as persistent as his stomach that continued to growl. Rosalie was acting as if she had seen the world and now demanded confirmation on what she saw. That is when the girl started to deem questions that needed answers and demanded that she should know all of what was coming. How was he supposed to know!?
"Hah, Mistress I have little knowledge of what's to come but I can assure you… whatever does venture forth from the horizon will answer to me far before they seek you out. I am your servant and protector, even during the moons gaze and within your dreams, I shall keep you safe… Besides, what is it yer after? Knowledge of the threats that surround you? I have spoken naught but truth of the dark arts of what you call magic, if that be what yer after? I will say it again. There are things in this realm that go bump in the night, These are the things your kind nay should ever mettle in.” Taking a moment, Gore had to stop and think about what he was about to tell his owner. After a moment, he continued despite the serious tone his voice had. “There is something within the dark art they wield. I can feel it with each passing battle... That is why when we first met, I had set you down. The ignorant humans who sought my capture used such foul incantations to claim me. Whatever lies within the darkness that they wield? The words I hold now or ever are not enough to describe it, but what I will say is this… It feeds off from them with sadism and it cares little for the balance of the realm. I felt it the moment it wrapped itself around me and my brothers and sisters… that hunger was far greater than any I have encountered before…" Feeling he answered as much as he could about the oncoming threats, he simply nodded and went back to preparing breakfast.
The second she mentioned heads up, Gore looked up, blinking. "I see nothing… what is this heads up you speak of? Should I collect heads for you? Do you wish me to bring you the heads of future hunts or of those who seek harm upon you?" With another blink, Gore tilted his head at his owner with up-most confusion. Being a few centuries behind was hindering him and he wasn't familiar with any newer terms or phrases.
"A warning eh, lass?? Forgive me, Mistress but have I not been quite adept in my venture of keeping you from harm? Often I warn you when things are coming. This time? I held reason behind my pause. I hold true to the fact that we overcame such ordeals in fine form despite my pause. Though when the next enemy descends upon us, you will know in advance that someone is near. Besides, had I not given you warning over the man with the feminine hair?" Asked Gore with a smile that showed a fang. The Blood Dragon was trying to make light of how he felt inside and yet… The sorrow in his eyes was evident. Watching her when she spoke of something else, but didn't finish? Made the ancient Dragon wonder just what she was thinking as well. Every act that they have shown this very day had mirrored one another. Their feelings over the dream and how they both felt afterward.

Though one thing he hadn’t expected from her was any concern over his wellbeing.
“That man…Oh aye, that is true that ye have ever met such a lad. He was one of the two that came for me. Dispatched by the Order to take me in with their wretched spells. When they captured me, they called him Aisen, and his partner Delna. He took exception to the way I killed her, even if he should have never let his guard down around his prey. You would expect hunters to know the hunt, eh?” Said Gore with a darker tone, shaking his head. “Though, he had yet to achieve such power… I believe he is sacrificing himself to wield greater magics… clearly a child whom heeded none of my warning.” Gore said with a scoff, clearly taken back by the man’s persistence in revenge.

While she tended to his wounds, Gore merely chuckled at what she brought up.
“Have you ever held word over fire and hearth with any of my kin? Nay the new breeds, I speak from the older generation… Brainwashed children can nary a thought passed what a human wants.” The Blood Dragon continued to stare ahead as if he didn’t feel anything, though how tense he was betrayed his intention.
“I live to serve you, mistress.” Said the Dragon as if that were rehearsed a million times. His tone holding a bit of disdain for whatever fed him such a thing to say. His disdain filled glance however quickly faded when her owing him came up, making him blink dumbfoundedly. Did she seriously just say that?...
“You owe nothing, everything I have done and will continue to do until your last breath, will be for you, lass. Though nay can I ever say it shall be with ease in which you live. You are the first owner of me in centuries, and that comes with a list of problems all amongst themselves.”
Watching her pack up the kit and continue to speak, his eyes went from curious to one of deep concentration and hesitation. What should he say to her? His life was meant for a Dragons eyes, not a human! Yet… if he were to tell her, would she understand? As far as owners go, she was most unusual…
“Ye tell them thus; You and I were attacked and it has been handled, aye?... As for what you saw--” Feeling her hand on his shoulder made him look into her eyes before continuing. “I feel uncomfortable.. telling you much of the events that took place, but I shall give some context, aye?” Taking a deep breath, Gore looked down to try and figure out what he wanted to say.
“As moons pass over the skies, much the same has happened in our cultures. Those Dragons were what you would call a council, to guide me and my brothers to a greater tomorrow… only I disagreed with what they were saying. This caused a ripple amongst brother and sister, and thus the Gathering had begun. One of those Dragons that were reigning over me was…” He trailed off, shaking his head with a growl.
“Hah, thinking back to it now? That is most likely why my kin are now servants. In the weakened state we were, how could we foresee what was unfolding?” When she brought up the blue dragon, Gore’s eyes fell from hers, clenching his fist.
“...Is it so shocking that I actually loved another? Your stories must paint me in quite a light….” Gore said in a very pained voice, though not because of how she saw him. “He… was innocent. He strived to save our peoples, and what did they do?... What did I do… I failed to save him…” Gore was shaking before going to his pans and cooking. He didn’t say a word as he set her plate down, nodding to her when she mentioned that he could go hunt. His mood immediately lifted when she said yes.

“Aye, I had planned to stick to the woodland area around your hearth… Thank you mistress.” He said, quickly heading toward the door with a haste. His hunger must’ve been great.
As he opened the door, he chuckled. “You bought the Blood Dragon, trouble is in my title.. As for what was taught? Aye, though history is always written by the victor.” With that, he walked out. The windows nearby could see a large wing unfurl, followed by the faint noise of his take off. Flying over the closest woodland area, Gore had noticed a large hound that seemed blood ridden. Its skin was leathery and its eyes were blood red. It may have been smaller than half his own size, but it would do nicely.
Smirking, Gore landed with a thud, huffing at it before lowering himself into an attack position, running at it as it ran at him, leaping up onto Gores neck, biting it hard.
________

Mr. Clearwater took a minute, thinking over what she said about how she wanted to find her father.
“I understand you want to find your father, it’s a shame that he isn’t here… but that doesn’t excuse bringing a monster into our home, Rosalie. You don’t need to replace my gun, Make him work it off… it was his fault anyway!” When Rosalie spoke further, his gaze turned a bit cold. “You sound like a sympathizer, He’s nothing but a tool and you’d be foolish to turn your back on him. You’re right he hasn’t done anything yet but that Dragon? That particular one? Has killed more people than the days you’ve been alive. A sea of bodies would be an underestimate and… I do want you to find Setton, I just think that trusting that thing? Is a mistake on your part…” Mr. Clearwater got up to get some coffee, trying to calm himself down. “You can keep him for now, Rosalie. Find your father… I don’t want you to be left wondering, just… Promise to be careful around it… and careful, you’re starting to sound like a sympathizer to them which is far more dangerous in public. They are nothing and will always be nothing. That’s the way of it.” Mr. Clearwater then left to go back to his room, leaving her in silence.
___

The houndlike monster was quick, jumping from place to place, biting at every point he could on the Blood Dragon, only to be thrown off by his tail with each attempt. Gore circled around the hound, letting it play out until finally when the hound jumped at his wing and actually cut into it, Gore slapped the beast down with a claw, biting into his side. The dragon’s massive jaws wrapped around the body of the hound, blasting it with fire, managing to cook the inside while the thing was still alive. Dropping the now roasted hound, Gore sunk his teeth into it, feasting on it.
Several minutes went by until the Blood Dragon lifted his head, staring in a random direction. Meat fell from his mouth as a low growl came from his lips. Most of the hound was eaten, enough to show some bones in the mess of what is left of it.

A second later, Gore took off, flying over as he saw a man running haphazardly through the forest. Landing behind him, Gore let out a roar, wrapping his tail around him violently before bringing the man up to look at him.
Aisen... He looked to be bleeding and nearly dead. He was struggling in Gores grasp, only to be slammed down. When Aisen looked up, he dark energy shot out at Gore, grazing his cheek, cutting into his scales. Gore took the hit, moving with the momentum before slowly looking down at the tiny man. The anger in his teal eyes was boundless, as if there were only one thing in the world, and that was Aisen.
Aisen stepped back, trying to attack again, only to find a tail smacking him into a tree. The man could hear a crack in his body, and then tried to stand and run, only to find Gore drag him back and drop him. Clearly the Blood Dragon was playing with him.
The dark caster tried getting back up, only to find the Blood Dragon had shifted back to his human form.
“You… you don’t scare me, bastard…” Aisen said, which followed with Gores laughter. Aisen took this time to start to run, only to have Gore follow, walking at the ‘hunters’ running pace.
“I scared Delna…” Gore said in a sinister tone. “When I grabbed her… I could hear how her heart sped. To the depths of her being, She was crying out for you to save her…”
When Aisen turned around a tree, Gore was there to grab him and pick him up by his throat. “Her pale limp body wouldn’t of served for anything.” Having Aisen at eye level, Gore leaned close to him. “Do ye know what you’ve done, lad?... What you made me relive?” Gore said in a hushed tone before dragging his claw deep into the tree that was behind the man, snarling rapidly. A clicking noise coming from his throat.
“You and she are nothing but weaklings… You think you’ve seen darkness?... I’ve seen things that you’ve only seen in your nightmares… Things that come for you… things that you can’t even see…Now? Delna sees them too with where she is…” Gore let out a dark laugh before slamming his claw into the man, causing several ribs to break by the sheer force. Aisen fell limp in pain, groaning before being dragged by his hair back to the house.
“…You attacked my mistress too, perhaps she wants to be part of the hunt, aye?” Gore said in a very dark tone, laughing the entire way back to the house like a mad man.

Trusting Gore may be a mistake, Mr. Clearwater may have been right on that, but he was also unaware of that very same dragon saving his two sons. Rosalie debated on whether she was going to tell the man of that, but supposed it would only complicate matters when she was still trying to figure out what exactly had happened to cause her to share the same dream with Gore. She folded her arms, wincing slightly at the pain of her wrist. That dragon should keep his dreams to himself and while it may have already happened, Rosalie doubted that trusting the creature had a part in causing it. The girl would not say if she had gone as far as fully trusting the winged beast, but going by what she had seen so far, as her thoughts had often drifted back to, was that Gore was keeping his word. It might have been a code of honour that he had abided by or maybe just a ruse, but unfortunately, Rosalie had no sure way of confirming that.

“I..promise..” It was a promise more to herself than it was to Mr. Clearwater, she realised, her mumbled response probably not reaching his ears at all as he had turned to walk off, leaving her to stare at his retreating form. He had most likely left to check on his wife after the initial shock over there being a dragon in the vicinity. Rosalie would visit the woman but for now, she had not the urge nor the strength to stray far from the kitchen after the events and reasoned it was better that she wait for things to settle before making contact.

Pulling out a chair and slumping in its seat, Rosalie rested her head in her hands, closing her eyes whilst taking in a deep breath to calm her nerves and trembling body. It was times like this where she wished she had someone to confide in - that she had her father by her side to tell her that things would work out eventually. It was why she had committed to her decision of buying the Blood Dragon whilst knowing well the ‘list of problems,’ as Gore had put it, that came with said decision.

She was starting to falter, though, knowing now that there was magic involved as one of her growing list of obstacles. Magic, though rare, can be powerful and destructive if used incorrectly and although the carnage she had witnessed on day one of her journey had been a combination of both machinery and magic, it served as an example to reinforce her fears of what it was capable of doing. Going by that, it was not magic that she wanted to dapple in but magic that she wanted to be aware of and avoid. If Gore was able to sense it, she wondered then if other dragons could do the same. Either way, she had earlier nodded to the dragon promising her that she would know in advance if something of a similar threat was near. He had succeeded in keeping her out of harm’s path, but it didn’t mean she had to be completely sheltered and kept unawares.

The girl wasn’t going to fault him too much on not keeping her notified as it seemed as if Gore had his own list of problems that kept his thoughts occupied. His brothers and sisters - those she had seen gathered in discussion along with a key figure Gore had spoken against. They looked similar to each other or as similar as Rosalie could tell as far as dragons go. An older brother perhaps?

___

Aisen tried to swear angrily at the beast but it came out as a choking cough that caused pain to wrack through his battered body. It hurt to even take in a deep breath at this point and as the man stared into the teal abyss that glared back at him, he felt only one thing: Resentment. Resentment that a dragon, of all things, was taunting him in such a smug tone. The Blood Dragon was pleased with his ‘work of art,’ and as much as it bothered Aisen, giving the winged beast any satisfaction of that was not going to happen. Besides, as far as the man was aware, Gore was under ownership which meant the dragon did not have permission to do much even if Aisen was caught.

His gaze hardened on the dragon, when it mentioned what it had done to Delna and the final moments she must have suffered through. It filled the man with rage. “For.. a monster like you, you should.. have no trouble reliving the past. It clearly reflects who you are...” Aisen bit through the pain, forcing out his words through grit teeth, “no matter what time and age it is.” The man’s glare was as cold as ice. “You deserve to suffer after all you have done to her!” He tried to summon forth some of magic to attack the dragon but found that it was to no avail. He was too weak in his current state - especially giving the fact that he had expended most of his strength trying to take down his targets when they least expected it.

Again, he cursed as he cast about for the girl, the man thinking that surely this winged beast would not be out here without an owner as that would surely be against the rules of the Order. Aisen then decided to wait, trying to sense if there was another here besides himself and the dragon. It took a few moments of staring into Gore’s deadly maws to realise that the fields here were oddly quiet. No birds were nearby and not even a rustle of the leaves despite the whole field being covered in forestry.

That was when he looked at Gore in confusion which quickly melted into realisation then fear. Either the brat who had run a knife through his shoulder was hiding away somewhere -whilst this pet of hers did the dirty work- or Gore had escaped. Aisen was willing to go with the latter thought on this one considering the history this dragon ca– wait! Where was the dragon taking him?! The man started to struggle weakly in Gore’s grasp, trying as much as his body allowed him to get free. “When..when I escape, your life and hers will be forfeit!” A weak threat even in his ears but it was all that he could do to stop himself from screaming.

____

Gore was taking a while to return, Rosalie mused to herself, realising that it had been almost two hours since his departure. Did Gore think this was a time to stop and smell the flowers, to enjoy the view while having a nice meal? She shook her head with a sigh, trying to calm down. She was anxious after what had happened, but it was no reason to get snippy, she told herself. Within that time, she had reflected on earlier events and was now thinking about what she could do to cause as little trouble for the Clearwater family was possible. As nice and welcoming as they were, she felt she was burdening them with her stay. She was going to have to replace John’s gun somehow, too.

She glanced out the window just in time to see a dash of red among the clear blue backdrop of the sky gradually getting bigger and bigger with each passing second. “Took him long enough..wait..what’s that?” The girl got up, exited the house and started jogging to the airborne creature, curious and somewhat furious.