A heavy click of glass against the stone drew the she-drake's eyes for a moment and she lifted the cocktail slid to her by the dwarf, sipping the cinnamony rum as she fished in a pouch on the black belt around her shapely hips for coin. A black shiny orb larger than her fist was tucked into the leather purse, and in the few moments it was exposed to Aussir's sight it seemed to flicker orange like a fire-brand.

A knowing look passed over Drache's face when Aussir admitted his line of work, and she nodded her horns a little. [color=ed1c24]"I've been...traveling for over a season. Only been back in the city for a few days, but I hear that many of the Xarzi clan have left the Peak. I'd be willing to bet that those who remain might be feeling a need to protect their interest in the Guilds or along the trade roads."[/color]

Drache took another sip and scooted closer to Aussir, leaning close enough that their scales nearly touched. [color=ed1c24]"Dragons say they don't like us but you might find that some would rather be in our company than that of dwarves or humans."[/color]

There was a silence between them, two half-breeds happening upon each other in a rowdy tavern, but after a while the pause seemed excessive and the pretty red looked up questioningly. For a brief moment Drache thought that Aussir had found his gaze captured by her ample bust, which would have been flattering as well as amusing. But a glitter of purple was reflected in his eyes and she understood that he really was entranced by the necklace.

Before she could say anything to stop him, the male dragonkin with the self-given name had hopped from his seat as though it had turned to ice under his tail. Drache's brow furrowed and she turned, her lips forming the word [color=ed1c24]"Wait!"[/color]

But he was gone.

---

And Aussir would quickly find out that regardless of how passionate and justified his anger at the world felt, one did not simply incinerate trees in the middle of the night on the jungle-infested outskirts of the city without attracting some attention.

Just as the half-breed finished packing his tent, a loud leathery flapping like a ship's canvas sail whipping loose on the wind, followed by a heavy thud, announced the arrival of a dragon out of the night sky behind him. The large leaves of nearby trees rustled wetly against each other in the wake of the large creature's passing.

[color=f7941d]"Halt, [i]nou'ara[/i]."[/color] The voice was business-like and authoritative, belonging to a male drake peering at him through the darkness. He used the Draconic word for 'half-breed', which was thankfully a bit more polite than the usual term that meant 'mongrel'. 

Whenever Aussir got around to facing his challenger, he would find a small but well-muscled copper drake peering at him sternly, his long frilled tail twitching back and forth. He didn't fold his wings back until he was sure Aussir had a chance to see the blue stripes painted on those coppery membranes, which identified him as a [i]Harrok[/i] of the Wing Host. Most of his scales were as bright as freshly-forged copper armour, though some of the thickest ones were tinged with a green patina.

[color=f7941d]"You're causing quite a lot of noise out here by yourself, half-Ixen,"[/color] the Copper [i]Harrok[/i] accused, eyeing Aussir's sword. [color=f7941d]"It isn't wise to set fire to anything this close to the city. Care to explain yourself? What is your name?" [/color]