The Beast arrives in Old New York... Things have gone wrong in the South. There was was a group called the Patriots in old Washington, modelled after the old tribes of the dead world. They were the guns of the city and penninsula, holding up boats and road ways. They claimed they were the peace keepers. The wardens, but they were just a bunch of thugs, demanding money for their protection. It was a racket and everyone knew it. Atleast they looked the part, stupid hats and weird boots and the like.
They made a big mistake when they heard about the Beast. A dragon, one of them among mere mortal folk. It seemed inconceivable, but there he was, earning his money breaking legs for the free booters of the Orleans. A real terror but the Patriots saw potential and strength when they saw it. Sure, the Beast gave them a few months of carnage, his white frame and jaws enough to make entire crews tremble. They made the mistake when they filled up a ships hold with missing children, ready slave labor for more disgusting folks. Even tried to lie to him about the cargo he was protecting.
They didn't know the Beast had a soft spot for kids. The Patriots lost a couple of ships that day, and alot more men.
In retrospect it might have been a mistake on the monster's end, as he had to high tail to the next town, get himself in with a gang quick before the Patriots muscled up enough manpower to finally put him down. Good luck.
Good thing about old New York, plenty of hallowed out buildings to hide in. Most of them were collapsed, sunken in on the island, but there were still plenty of ruins outside of the 'city' that could house a monster and some of his minions. Siraki saw the wrecked nature covered interior and finally set his bag down. He breathed a sigh of relief.
"Come on in. Is clear."He had picked up some hangers on. Three kids from the boat, Boy, Girl, small one. There was also Scrap, a bald headed bloke who had alot of debts with the Patriots and figured following the big scary dragon was preferable then trying to ask for a few more weeks more.
"This is New York? Expecting something a bit more rowdy." He sat his portly side down and began rubbing his feet before fumbling with the laces.
"We're not there yet." The girl was the brains of the outfit. She managed to get herself snatched up with her little brother, but her parents were apparently merchants at one point, traveling between the hidden cities. The motley crew followed her sign, and her little notebook.
"Old New York is under the fallen spires. The cracked ones.""So that's where we're going." Siraki knelt down and pushed his hands into the puddle that formed over the years. He washed them before taking a drink, uncaring of how dirty they were. Flicking the excess away.
"Fact, think we should part ways here. Things get loud when I show up."The kids looked at the monster with worried eyes.
"You're leaving?"Scrap didn't seem to mind.
"It's for the best lass. He does stand out and we don't want to be anywhere near em when word spreads." Scrap seemed to look at his companion with a knowing look.
"And I think we cramp his style. Not exactly scary if he shows up with three kids and an old codger like me."Siraki gave a toothy grin.
"Have to make a good first impression."
Screams erupted from the corner of the bizarre. This led to confusion which led to shock as more and more eyes saw the white scales and yellowing eyes of the monster that somehow had casually walked into their city. He had been stopped, or some have atleast tried, and other districts have went through the same amount of pandemonium as the bizarre. The Beast moved with purpose and seemed to be uninterested in the commotion he was causing. He'd been through this before, dozens of times. He was a freak. An abomination. A monster. He heard it all before, and he was going to friggin own it. He brings terror and terror brings respect. Most of the time just making himself known would usually lead to something happening. The smart ones knew about his reputation, and usually the jobs flooded in. Then came the money, then came the food and booze. The dumb ones would just attack him, try to carve a reputation out of his hide. This usually did the opposite, keeping the dumb ones away until the smart ones came out.
But first the panic, the murmurs, the screams. The dragons were here. They dragons were invading. Idiots. Why would a dragon be in this crap hole? Why wouldn't they be hiding themselves?
His eyes went from side to side, viewing the pictures and fliers and people that scampered to get distance, grouped up for security, hid in their homes and stalls, or remained motionless on the spot. It was all the same, and sure enough he found some dumb ones.
Two guys with blades at their hip didn't notice the cause of the commotion until the crowd cleared, the Beast, holding onto one strap of his backpack, makeshift armor and tattered pants, a bone necklace around his thick throat. They brew their swords, more like sharpened metal slabs, one dropping something colorful.
"S-stop right there!" one shouted. The Beast ignored him and continued walking. The man tried a swipe. Siraki reached out and grabbed the man's hands at the hilt and simply pulled, the man went off balance and fell onto the pavement behind him without missing a beat. His companion was demoralized and raised his blade in defense, arms shaking. Siraki was going to go through him before he noticed the piece of paper that had wofted onto the ground infront of him.
The Beast paused, leaning down and picking up the flier. His yellow eyes scanned over the page, but he didn't understand the local written language. He held it up to the other armed man who flinched and dropped his sword before cowering. The beast figured these 'warriors' were looking at it for a purpose.
"What's this?" He asked, his voice more a growl.
The doors to the Leaky Grove Tavern slammed open, enough that the hinge of the door might have cracked and a mark was left where the knob hit the wall. The
CRASH and clunk cause the bar to turn its attention to the figure, the words stopping in their throat, the music going off key from surprise.
The Beast's tail swayed a little before the towering hulk of horns, claws, and teeth walked into the room, the flier clenched in one fist while the other remained on the strap of his bag. The nostrils of his snout splayed open, taking in the rank smell of differing alcohols and sweaty unwashed bodies. There was a tense moment, quiet, silence, then the Beast looked to the bar tender, before holding up the flier. The barkeep pointed to the corner.
There was a dark haired man there, one standing with his glass in the air, another seemed to be getting up, light haired male about to walk away with a dark haired woman. He wasn't impressed, but he looked to the table, seeing a pile of the fliers. The Beast raised his snout and approached, placing his crinkled flier on the top of the pile before eying the bigger of the two men, seemingly the more dominant, if flamboyant one.
"Heard you had work." He said simply.