Sylvazard

Blood Rose Dragon

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.

Blood Rose Dragon

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?”

Blood Rose Dragon

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.

Blood Rose Dragon

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.

Blood Rose Dragon

Rosalie nodded at Setton’s comment concerning Gore, completely transfixed by her father’s eyes, staring into them as her mind took in the little details of the emotions the man was feeling. They were near enough the same as her own, she saw, and she ended up biting her lip to stop the tears. He didn’t want to send her away, it was just circumstance and an undesirable one, at that. The girl supposed she could understand the choice he made when he did, but she still wanted to know why he hadn’t tried to find her. There wasn’t much contact since then. She had been afraid and alone going into the Clearwater’s household and she had wished he had been by her side when she needed him most. For now, she decided to bury those emotions and just let herself live in the moment. “I love you, too, dad. I’m just glad you’re safe. That’s all that really matters to me.”

She dug into her food, now, more at ease than she had been earlier, managing a small smile as she nodded. “Dad’s cooking is always the best and I’m glad you’re still sticking to the healthy stuff. It just means I won’t have to always nag you as much.” Playfully, she stuck her tongue out at him, smile growing even wider. “Gore has caused me a bit of trouble but not as much as you’d think. I know I’ll be able to handle it, but.. you’ll be there to help, won’t you?” The girl gave off a sheepish smile, laughing lightly as she added, “Also, dad? Umm.. I ended up spending almost all the money you gave me in an auction for him, but I’m sure he’ll be able to buy back the price he had cost..” Though she shied away as she spoke, there was one thing she would not shy away from and that was wanting things to go back to the way they were. Gore or no Gore, she wanted her life back.

Even if Rosalie knew she was old enough to stand on her own two feet -and she was confident she was more than capable- the girl wanted to be sure that she would have her guide, safety net and father with her. Reaching for her father’s hand over the table, Rosalie took it -more for her sake- to be sure that this was real. She felt him. She felt the warmth of his skin against hers, and she released the breath she had been holding along with the fear that her hands would go through his despite how real the hugs he had been giving her were. What if it was that only he were able to hold her and she wasn’t? The thought terrified her enough that it sent a light shiver through her body.
“If it offers you any comfort,” she forced herself to say through her fear and uncertainty, “I don’t know what else to say, either.. only that I was doing all of this just so I’d be able to see you again. Every single moment leading up to seeing you was worth it and I have no regrets, dad. You didn’t fail me, either. Sure, I wonder why you haven’t kept in contact with me, but I believe you did it to keep me sa-” She couldn’t help gasping at the claw that just shot into her view, the sudden movement almost causing her to fall out of her seat as she recoiled in shock and disbelief.

Words abandoned her and so did her voice, mouth moving but not a scream would come out as she shook in fear, tears blurring her sight. It couldn’t be happening right in front of her. She refused to believe it, but though her mind was in denial, her heart was acknowledging it far too well. Fear washed through her body like a wave crashing down on her, causing her to flinch and suck in a breath. “No..” she managed to say when Gore’s figure came into view. She flinched at the brutality he had hit her father with, grimacing at the sickening crunch of her father’s bones as he was slammed about without a care in the world by the crimson dragon. “NO!!” Rosalie screamed, finding her voice. She looked at the Blood Dragon before her in terror, too distressed over her father’s screaming to even take note of the look that was in Gore’s eyes. “W-what are you d-doing?! Stop it!” Desperate, Rosalie lunged at him, looking about in confusion when Gore seemed to teleport to another place that was well out of her reach. She let out a curse, hand instinctively going to the knife she often carried only to find it wasn’t on her person. She didn’t understand. Rosalie had always made sure that it was with her and if not on her body, then somewhere close by and easily accessible, and yet, she was unable to think of where she had put it. Scolding herself came easy at that point, and so did swearing at her stupidity and unpreparedness. When the young woman had needed it most, she was bereft of it.

Around her, the room had darkened and what had been the sun had now turned into a crimson moon. It prompted many changes around her and apart from noticing that the warmth had obviously been sucked out of the room, Rosalie saw there was now a black mist creeping over the floor, making the walls seem as if they were closing in on her. Sobs wracking through her body, the girl fought to control her breathing, choking on her cries a few times as she continued to tell herself to calm down and focus. “How could you.. do that? Put him down.. Please?” The last word was added not out of politeness, but more of desperation. “Or.. or else..” It was a rather meek threat coming from her at the time, but she emphasised it by moving to grab the kitchen knife with the intent of fending him off with it.

Despair and sorrow settled into her stomach, a heavy, sinking stone that seemed to accept the fate of spending the rest of its time at the bottom of a pond. She wanted to stop the pain that plucked at her heart like a taunting, cool hand, to bury it like the ebbing waves that buried seashells at a beach’s shore, but like the blood that was quickly becoming apparent on the floor, it was far too prominent to ignore. Her small frame was trembling at the sight of her father being treated this way, but not matter how much she lunged at or tried for Gore with a quick swipe aimed at his arm, she always missed, swiping at nothing but thin air. She caught herself on her left foot and pushed off of it toward him again, her strikes becoming more wild. “You monster!” She growled, her tone quickly melting into a whimper when Gore decided to hold Setton out to her and shake him about once more. She was finally forced to stop in her tracks before she crashed into him, holding her knife by her side as she took the provocation with a grim look in her eyes.

It was like watching a puppet on a string dangle about helplessly as the puppeteer unceremoniously shook him about. She was told to look away but she could not until the final, loud snap that echoed through the room announced his violent death. “Dad!” Hot tears streaming down her face, she dropped the knife she had been holding, the blade falling to the floor with her following after it, sinking to her knees as the strength granted to her by her rage left her. At this point, Setton’s corpse was just some toy to the crimson monster. “Why?” she started slowly, “why did you..,” she found it hard to breathe, the metallic scent of blood -her father’s blood- getting to her, “kill him?” Perhaps he didn’t hear her as all he did was laugh darkly like he was proud of his work.

Crashing behind her was all Rosalie heard as she held her face in her hands, crying insults at the cursed dragon which did nothing but make the beast laugh harder. It wasn’t some sort of game, but he seemed to treat it as one. What had gone wrong? Did she do something to upset Gore enough that he would carry an act to such an extreme extent as this? People and the legends were right: he was a monster. There was no mercy for Setton just as there was no mercy for the hunters back at the mountain where the beast had once resided.

It sounded as something big had crumbled, shaking the floor she was sitting on and she almost groaned, finding that it took much more effort to tear her gaze away from the floor than it should have. The second she saw another Gore tumble in the room coated in a slick, crimson liquid, Rosalie’s gaze immediately shot to the ground again, trembling as she muttered, “no, no, not again. Stop.. Please.. someone.. make it stop!” At this point, she didn’t care what happened to her, she didn’t care what happened now as she believed that her world had already crumbled before her.

Blood Rose Dragon

Was it really morning already? It was warm, comforting and even peaceful, but for a reason she believed herself being rather paranoid over, she decided to dismiss the thought like she was waving away a bothersome insect. It was the type of thought that was not as dominant as the rest swimming about in her mind, but it still was able to draw her attention more than the others did. Rosalie would have stayed in bed if not for a familiar voice that rang through the room. She stayed where she was, stunned as her eyebrows began to slowly knit together in thought. How many years now had it been? How many years had she gone without hearing that voice? The girl blinked and shot up into a sitting position, staring at the person before her with wide eyes and mouth slightly agape. “Good morning.. Dad..,” Those were words she thought she would never get to use in a long while and yet here she was - sooner rather than later. Rosalie wrapped her arms around him tightly, fighting back tears as she looked up at him. “Dad..” She repeated in disbelief.

The comfort he provided was familiar, the kind that made her want to close her eyes and fall asleep in his arms like she always used to. “I missed you, too. Where have you been, have you been eating well and taking care of yourself?” She asked him, dearly concerned. Leaning back, Rosalie let him go, the glass of juice he had brought her forgotten and in favour of more important things. He actually had to hand it to her again before she remembered to accept it and when she did, she was invited to head downstairs. Rosalie did not drink from it, gaze transfixed on Setton’s retreating form. ‘Is this real?’ She asked herself, looking down into her beverage. She could feel the wait of it in her hands and she definitely could feel the heat coming from the sunlight shining through her window. It lured her into a sense of comfort that she hadn’t felt in years. As safe as she had felt around the Clearwaters, the security she felt now was different. However, it still nagged at the back of her mind that something was off.

Holding her cup of juice, Rosalie slipped out of bed and went to inspect the walls with a hint of wonder in her eyes and the way she moved about her room. It was the same room that she had left on the day of her 14th birthday and nothing had changed since then. Lifting a finger, Rosalie experimentally ran it along the surface of a photo frame of her as a child being held in Setton’s lap. She smiled at it, remembering her eagerness to get away from him and her demands to see her real parents. The girl brought the finger under her inspection, rubbing it against her thumb in awe as she started sweeping her gaze around her room.
“Not a speck of dust..,” she murmured to herself. “Dad really is meticulous about order..” It was his job, she supposed with a sigh. Even some of her drawings were still in place on the walls. Where did he find the time to maintain the room like this?

Deciding that she had idled long enough, Rosalie followed after her father, unaware of the dark, wispy tendrils that snaked out from underneath her bed like trapped mist seeking an escape route, waving after her ankles in frustration when it failed to catch its prey. Sensing that she wasn’t coming back anytime soon, it slowly receded back into its confines.

Now downstairs, she propped herself down in the seat opposite her father, unsure of what to say after so long being alone. A range of emotions rushed through her, unable to be expressed with just a word or even a few sentences. A part of Rosalie wanted to be mad at him for sending her away like that, for walking out of her life the way he did, while other parts of her wanted to celebrate their reunion and cry against him. Suppressing her emotions, Rosalie started with the question that came easiest to her: “You’ve met Gore already?”
She then reached for her spoon and fork, taking comfort in the fact that her father still remembered what she liked to wake up to. It was usually her job making breakfast, but this time, she was going to take it as him trying to make it up to her. “I missed you so much, dad.. You.. really have no idea..” Her voice cracked a little and she had to stop and take a breath.

She let her gaze wander about the room once more as she composed herself. “Why did you send me away like that? Why couldn’t I hide with the others?” Rosalie popped a bit of food in her mouth as she waited for an answer, still in disbelief that her father was there in front of her. At times, she found herself staring at him to be sure that he was in good shape for his age. That warm smile, the nickname he gave her, and his remembrance of her favourite food made it feel as if being with the Clearwaters was a world away, that it was all in the past.

__

As the goings on in the house continued, Aisen stalked through the shadows like a wraith, blending into the darkness when it was needed. Just ahead, he could see the result of his work just above the roofs of the surrounding houses as he made his way to his destination. He would make the dragon pay for what he had done to his dear companion, Delna. Last time, he had allowed the younger one to do the job, but this time, he was willing to jump in and have his cuffs soiled if it meant feeling the satisfaction that came with making the blasted beast suffer. He self-consciously clenched his fist as he neared the dwellings of the Clearwaters, knowing the beast was near as well but trapped in an intricate nightmare that he had spun - had spent time planning while he was at Delna’s side. The girl had passed not three weeks ago, but that time alone was not enough for the man to consider letting the winged lizard go without at least causing some harm so that Delna’s efforts in weakening the beast would not be in vain.

Finally arriving at the household, Aisen did not step in any closer than he needed to. Deciding to raise a hand and whisper an incantation, eyes glowing an ominous purple as he did so, he swept his hand out in front of him with a delicate motion as if the spell itself was fragile. With him being so near to the site of his spells, the web that he had spun to ensnare his victims was sure to grow stronger. It was clear that with the added incantation, he was planning something; a shift in the dream that the two were currently experiencing. After all, what better way to weaken the mind than when they were least expecting it. He scoffed, holding back a laugh that would have sent shivers down the spine of anyone had they been near enough or even there to hear it. ‘Blood Dragon. Pah! Pathetic, daft beast.’ Aisen thought to himself. With the narrowing of his eyes at the shed, he leaned back against a tree with arms folded and, setting up a small barrier that would alert him to anyone or anything that dared to approach, he closed his eyes and allowed his mind to peer into the dream. ‘Let’s see how my little test subjects are doing.’

Blood Rose Dragon

Entering the arena? The brothers looked at each other upon that assumption. That could be one of the reasons for buying him; using him to make up for the cost of purchasing him and perhaps gaining more. However, they weren’t even sure if Rosalie planned to dapple in that area. She’s never mentioned it once, come to think of it, but at this point, the two young men were willing to go with anything as long as it calmed their parents.

“You-“ Eric was interrupted by a nudge to his side from his brother, urging him to bite his tongue for now and refrain himself from saying what he really had in mind. Instead, he corrected himself with, “you’re right. I apologise,” and bowed his head, looking at the floor. His father had taught his boys to stand up for themselves, for what they believed was the right thing, and it bothered Eric that he seemed to be forgetting that. But, to look at it from a different perspective, he would be as furious as his father if he found out that his child or children had been keeping something -as possibly dangerous as Gore- from him.

“We’ll find a way to replace the rifle - whether it’s on our own or with Gore’s help, dad.” Sigmund offered a lazy smile that was obviously inappropriate for the situation, but it was his way of easing himself out of a difficult one. What he didn’t often realise was that something like this caused people to become unable to take him seriously despite the firm tone he had in his voice. When their father left the room, Sigmund had to wait through a scolding from his mother before she left and he was finally able to lean over to his brother and speak about what had happened. Hearing hurried footsteps running in the general direction of Rosalie’s room, both brothers stared for a bit, considering that their answer.
“Sigmund! You’re doing groceries!” Came her voice, upset yet demanding.

The young man stood up with a sigh, raising his arms in exasperation. “Can someone please tell me why I’m the one always being called, first? Why isn’t it ever your name then mine?”
His brother only sighed and adjusted his glasses with a shrug. “Maybe because you’re the one with a carefree nature that needs to be kept in check, brother. As you were saying?”
“Rosalie seems furious.. Uhh.. Oh! That’s right! I was just saying that my name keeps being called, first. Instead of ‘Eric, Sigmund, do this’, it’s-“ Hearing his name and Eric’s called from behind, Sigmund spun around on his heel and gestured almost over-dramatically to get his point across, not yet realising who it was. “Exactly that! Sigmund and Eric! See? What did I tell y- oh! Gore, hi!” He hadn’t even noticed that he was called by his name and not just ‘Siggy’ at this point. He smiled, “hey, there, buddy.”
“As you can see, my brother’s more concerned over the order of our names when called than he is with the replacement of father’s rifle..” Eric cut in with a sigh, standing up as well.
“That’s not true! I was just getting to my point which was.. yeah, names.” The tallest of the two shook his head, becoming more serious now. “The arena is a good idea, I suppose, but obviously, you’re going to have to run that by Rosalie, isn’t that right? Now isn’t the best time to speak to her, though.”
“Or you can help out in the store we have while my brother and I work off the payment. That’s another way you could help out.” It was clear that none of them dared to ask what had just happened outside, deciding, and very wisely, mind you, to leave it well alone.

__

Having tasked Sigmund to fill in for her turn on getting the groceries, she would have to offer to take his turn next time around. Since then, Rosalie had stayed in her room out of the want to avoid anymore drama, choosing to skip out on dinner for the night, as well. She wasn’t all too hungry after the events of today, to be honest. It would save her having to look the Clearwaters in the eye, as well.
She stretched as she walked over to draw the curtains back and stare out the window. It was cloudy tonight with only the occasional glimpse of a few stars out in the sky. It looked rather gloomy, she thought to herself with a slight nod as her gaze swept across the other houses, all lit and rather cosy compared to hers. In the household, it was far from it.

Rosalie’s eyes then landed on the shed where Gore was residing, thinking back to what he had said as she sat on the edge of her bed. Her body still ached a little from earlier, but it was nothing when she could still move. She clenched her fists until they grew pale, body trembling with frustration and eyes beginning to fill with tears. He really had no right to do that. Was a title really worth that much to a dragon? Why was it to make Gore react like that? She just didn’t understand. Was it something very much similar to a famous singer or actor? That couldn’t be right, Rosalie thought whilst shaking her head. Dragons were obviously so much more different in terms of thinking and belief, but what had made Gore stick to this so closely that he almost refuses to come to terms with the changes that had taken place since he had last been awake?

“Stubborn, stupid dragon.” The girl muttered under her breath, lying down, gripping tightly onto one of her pillows out of frustration. “Tame but not as tame as they said he’d be. Today was his fault. All his fault.” she thought, rubbing her eyes. “Idiot.” If Gore heard her now, she wouldn’t care. He knew she was mad, and she still was. Nothing had changed since morning and she had a feeling that it wasn’t going to change in a while. It didn’t mater, though, considering that there weren’t any plans to be around him for long to begin with. With that thought in mind, she began to close her eyes.

Blood Rose Dragon

Thank you for posting =) -hugs you back- I'm glad to get things back on track here.

Blood Rose Dragon

The quick-snap change in the Blood Dragon’s eyes were as evident as day, a warning, to those heedful of it, to bite their tongues. Rosalie, however, had no mind to and neither did she have the desire to spend more time that she should with the dragon at the moment. They had said this dragon was tamed, at least, but at the moment, there was none of that. She kept her gaze firm and stood her ground even as Gore threatened her to step back with his form. Rosalie had no plans to as she bit her lower lip, taking in what he was saying with the growing desire to slap him. Protecting, yes, but why hadn’t he moved earlier, before the Clearwaters had seen him? Was that so much to ask when Spike had done the same?

She watched as he recoiled in disgust, stopping herself from growling. She believed that he was wrong. At least, she thought, clenching her teeth, that a dog knew when was a good time to stick around and when wasn’t. Gore, it seemed, had just stood there, let himself be spotted and shot at. Smartest choice ever and now he was laughing! How could he laugh at this time? She wasn’t there for his amusement. Perhaps the clowns at Druthers&Druthers’ would offer him better entertainment?
“It’s easy for you to say you don’t have need for weapons when you have claws, size and fire on your side! How are we supposed to match that?! As honourable as it is to you, not many will rush at you with just a sword nowadays. Get your head out of the clouds and just get over it, already!” Rosalie snapped, looking to the side, starting to pace about now as to stop her anger from getting the better of her. “A title? Who needs it? Even without it, people can still be worth more with the right people around you. I think that’s something you’ll never understand.”

Rosalie didn’t have to earn a title just for Setton, someone she considered a real parent to her, to love and care for her as if she was his own. Neither did he for her to love and trust him just as much. She didn’t see him one of the best strategists, but a family member who meant more to her than she could say and the girl was beginning to very quickly believe that dragons wouldn’t understand that.

“You brought it on yourse-“ she began to say before a tail wrapped around her waist tightly, the pressure of which it constricted her making her gasp and squirm. “Let me down right now!” She tried to yell at him for more than just picking her up, but it came out as more of a whimper. Did he really want people alerted to him like that? Things were bound to become more complicated if a group of people came over to question about the monster that brought about a grim reminder that they would not be able to come out of a battle against it without losing half their fighters. Even if they were hunters that came mostly out of town, a lesson was taught to pretty much everyone.

Bringing her fists down to Gore’s tail, she tried to get herself free. It only ended up hurting her hands, instead. Reaching for her knife was no good at all, fingers barely managing to brush the handle as he glared at the dragon. The more breath she lost, the more desperate she came to wanting to be set free, flailing. “You’re... only enforcing the idea.. that you’re a monster.” Was what Rosalie managed, tears of fear and frustration coming to her eyes, lungs starting to burn through lack of air.

She suddenly hit the ground with a whine, landing first on her feet before falling to her hands and knees, sitting back to get as much air as she could as she watched Gore’s retreating form through blurry eyes. He had said something then, something that she didn’t want to believe. Danial was manipulating her? Surely, he intended on helping her with her goal. Even if she couldn’t find anything, she still tried. Rosalie wasn’t one for parties, but if there was a chance, no matter how slim it was, she still wanted to take that small window of opportunity in hopes that it would provide a lead. She didn’t think Danial would have a reason to manipulate her.

_

Both young men kept their gaze to the floor, withstanding their father’s rage like insects through a storm. They knew the position they were in and it obviously wasn’t one to make light of. On the couch opposite them, was their mother, having just recovered and was sternly watching them, lips pursed into a thin line.
“We’ll both replace your weapon, dad..” Sigmund said after a while of contemplating. He looked into his dad’s eyes with firm determination. “If Gore had planned to do that to us, I’m guessing he would have done it the moment he saw us, but he didn’t. Last night, when Eric and I met up with Rosalie, Gore was there with her and she looked fine, as well. She had arrived safely.” He sent a quick glance to his brother who was watching him with a look that told him, ‘don’t mess up.’ Sigmund wasn’t going to. At least not too much. “On the way back, Eric and I was ambushed by a bear..” He flinched slightly when he saw his mother shift, about to yell at him.

Eric quickly continued with, “Gore saved us without us without having to be asked. He kept us all safe. All three of us. Even I hate to admit it but that ‘monster’ mother referred to, that you see.. saved us. Replacing your weapon, as brother had said, will fall to us, but I do not believe punishing him will do us much good. Rosalie has official papers that considers Gore being hers. We’re all still here..,” Eric then narrowed his eyes in defiance at his father, stating, “alive.”

Blood Rose Dragon

Everything seemed to break at that moment, the situation escalating to the point that if one were to slow time, they would come to appreciate the little details in this image very much like a viewer admiring the work of a truly talented artist. How were things supposed to go from here? Surely, it was expected to fall to chaos in the blink of an eye with the gun now out of Mr. Clearwater’s hands, but surprisingly, to the majority of those in the room, that assumption couldn’t be anymore wrong.

It was chaotic, but at the very least, it seemed that things were in the midst of settling down - not because those caught up in the event had won peace, but because it had fortunately been forced on them. It was one forced turn of events that they had no plans of complaining over. Now, at least, the young ones would not have to worry themselves over deciding how they were going to approach the matter as their biggest worry now was convincing Mr. Clearwater to let them off the hook. It was not as if they had planned to keep Gore a secret, but rather that the time of which they had gotten Gore to Kalandor was inconvenient for an explanation.

Sigmund noticed Gore’s exit, then, but knew it best not to follow, still trying to calm his father. “But.. Dad.. you’ve thrown it down, haven’t you? We can’t risk hurting anyone else. Who knows.. it could have hit one of us..” The last bit, he murmured under his dad’s heated gaze that told him very clearly, that now was not the time. It never was, if Sigmund were to have a say. It was always the seriousness that his younger brother seemed to live for, and he wondered if it was the panic that had set Eric to speak and stutter when he usually wouldn’t. Couldn’t blame him, Sigmund supposed with a sigh, moving to help out with his mother. He knew, as they all did, that she was going to be okay, but whether or not she would actually be so with the situation concerning Gore, was another matter in itself. She was almost like a ticking time bomb, if he had to make a comparison.

_

At least half an hour afterward, Rosalie found herself sitting at Mrs. Clearwater’s side along with her step-brothers, as it was their fault, waiting for her to wake up. It was a quiet wait that made the ticking of the clock appear much louder than it was, but neither seemed to mind as they were all lost in their own thoughts, their own musings over what had just happened. The girl stole a glance at the brothers, wondering if either one of them was going to speak and break the silence that hung over them like a dark, and heavy storm cloud. There was even a little thought of amusement that there was a mini dark cloud hanging over John’s head, as if a flash of lightning would be the trigger needed to set the man off. Maybe one of them moving would set him off and this was proven when his eyes flickered over Sigmund shifting casually with the sharp gaze of a hawk. Biting the inside of her cheek at the thought, Rosalie turned her gaze once more to the floor, suppressing a sigh. Unfortunately, no one spoke, silence beginning to quickly overstay its welcome.

It was not until Mrs. Clearwater had stirred that John spoke in a grave voice directed at the three younger adults in the room. An explanation was obviously needed, but perhaps it was the fact that distressing the older woman was not a good option at the moment so the talk over the Blood Dragon had to be pushed back. Rosalie excused herself, exiting the house to find Gore there to greet her. She wasn’t afraid of him. Not at the moment. Instead, she was mad - furious, even- and it showed in the way she held herself, in the way her shoulders rose and fell with each breath she took in an attempt to calm herself. She had so many questions buzzing around her head that was almost as loud to her as a hive filled with bees.

The young woman heard her dragon say something, but it wasn’t registered by her brain at the moment. She aware he had said something, but was busy with her own thoughts and feelings to acknowledge it at this point. It seemed that Gore might have understood, too, for he trailed off and had stopped to instead let her speak, it seemed. That might have been a bad idea on his part. Rosalie bit her lip, daring to glare daggers at the dragon who had saved her, who had helped her back home and who had caused most of this to happen.

“What on earth is wrong with you?!” Rosalie snapped, stare as accusing as the finger she jabbed in his direction, daring to size the taller and more dangerous one with a huff. “Why couldn’t you just stay out of sight for a bit? We didn’t sneak you all the way in here during the night only to be shot at the next morning! That explains why Spike was in such a hurry to leave..” She growled, holding her hands to her face for a moment as she tried to think through the rage and panic she was feeling. “Idiot, idiot, idiot...” she could be heard hissing under her breath. “We were supposed to tell them in the morning.. without one of them holding a gun.” She threw her arms up in exasperation. “Bah! Why didn’t you leave like Spike did? Why did you stay like that?” Rosalie demanded an explanation much like her step-father did. Whether she was going to get one, however, was up to the Blood Dragon. She hoped he best knew she wasn’t in the mood for him to be dodging questions left and right when he could have taken the time to dodge the bullet, instead.