No matter how small

[kai]

Kai huffed as he leaned up against the black skeleton of a burnt tree still glowing with embers. "I cant believe I'm doing this for free" He thought. "And for bugs no less" "Would be easier just to let them all die" What was once lush and green was now a small pocket of death and waste in the vastness of the swamp. The land scarred by the battle. Though it looked bad. These wounds would heal in time as. Nature always did.

Still breathing heavily he staggered to the last of those Kai had once called friends. A water dragon in her last dying moments. As he went Kai stepped over the bodies of the dead. Dragons of all elements that could not withstand his anger. "You always were a fool. Does honor mend your armor or put food in you stomach?" She hissed As Kai got closer.

With his skin being hard as rock Kai was practically glowing after being superheated by fire. As the earth dragon got closer she smiled. Using the last of her energy she caused swamp water to hit Kai's body causing him to scream as steam washed off his body. With popping sounds he fell over completely done. Like any glowing rock hit with water his skin cracked revealing pink lines.

He was not sure how long he was out but it was dark now. Racked with anger and pain he forced himself up. "You almost got me" He muttered as he walked by the one who had hurt him so badly. She had given in to her wounds at some point. "Not all the wealth in the world matters if I cant stand to look at myself in the mirror"

["Cosmos"]

as the night sky shown down on the realm of the Swamp, the soft wind blew through the large mushroom-like trees from the ocean of the Sea of Storms. as the native creatures of the marshy realm got settled for their sleep, a figure jumped from tree to tree as they traveled. appearing like a dragon-like humanoid, this Dragonborn kept its wings folded as it landed on a large mushroom treetop. standing up straight, the feminine figure looked out upon the marshy and mushroom laid landscape. as her gaze passed over a particular area, she noticed a battle-scarred area that caught her attention. running to the edge of the mushroom top, she jumped from one treetop to treetop until she landed on the marshy ground. looking around the battle torn area, she turned around to see a dragon that looked like he was covered in a insect-like carapace armor. looking around quickly to see the dead bodies, she laid her eyes onto the armored male. "mind if i ask what happened here?" she asked, as the glowing runes that covered her body glow in the nights darkness.

[kai]

Kai tensed at the voice but quickly decided it was not a threat due to the question. Not even looking in the direction of the feminine voice he stood on his hind legs while using his tail on the ground to support his weight. Taking the thumb talons on both fore claws he cut through the leather straps holding his chest plate on causing the heavy ruined piece of armor to fall into the mud.

"No offense babe. But I'm waist deep in death here. Give me a moment OK? Cutting the rest of his ruined armor he let out a pained sigh. It was pretty well hidden. But any of the warrior nature could pick it up. They would know that pained sigh well. It was the sigh from one who's body was battered and spirit, weary.

Feeling better now he answered her question and turned around. "We were hired to kill some bugs. Seemed easy enough. Until the point I learned they were not just bugs. But creatures like you and me. Creatures with hearts and souls. I wanted to walk away from the job. My friends did not. We fought, they died. End of story." Now fully turned around he cocked his head. and went down to all fours.

Cocking his head out of curiosity he questioned. "You one of those temple whelps. If so, your late. Good thing you had me around to play hero" Giving a pained chuckle he waved a claw of dismissal. "Someone should have told me playing hero was so painful. I might have had second thoughts. It was dark humor. But humor none the less.

"Now then, who, and what are you" It might seem a rude question. But if you stand out like a sore thumb. It was a commonly asked one.

["Cosmos"]

waiting for him, she watched as the male cut the armor straps off of his body. hearing the sigh, she recognized its pained nature instantly. listening to him as he turned towards her, she looked at the dead bodies scattered around. not taking the chuckle as any kind of negative gesture, she turned her head towards the large structure that she saw through a gap in the trees. "no, i am not from this temple you speak of. this is my first time in this area," the female Dragonborn said, turning back to the male dragon. hearing him ask who and what she was, she shrugged her shoulders as she let her wings unfold slightly. "my name is Akrina Darktalon, and i'm not from this world," she said, as she heard some vegetation become disturbed. twitching her hand slightly, a weird polearm weapon appeared in her grip from a swirling mass of weird energy. suddenly, she spun the weapon and slammed it into the head of a large bulb spider. spinning the weapon once again, she got it under it and flipped it away, standing up straight as it hit the ground and ran away.

[kai]

"Ooh, dark and mysterious" Kai said almost in a mocking manner as he heard her name. "So your like me, heh, nice. Glad to find I'm not the only one not from the dragon realm" With him in his current state she reacted first as the spider appeared. "Sweet, you got some moves girl" Moving his fore claw in the air from side to side he added. "A bit to flashy and dancy for my taste though. But hey. Put on a nice dress and you would be great on stage in Warfang.

That comment was friendly. One warrior jabbing another. Bro stuff he suspected she would understand. This female struck him as being like himself. Somehow she had a mercenary air about her as well. "I'm Kai Crag Jumper what other cool stuff you can do with magic?.

["Cosmos"]

listening to him, a smile came to her face. hearing the question, she slid the polearm through her grip until her claw rested just under the blade-end. suddenly, she threw it at him. before it plunged into his chest, it began to vanish as it was sent back to its place of origin. turning towards him, she grinned at him. "its nice to meet you, Kai. so you know, its not magic that i used to summon that weapon. like i said, i'm not from this world. my world was destroyed and i was imprisoned in the Void by monsters. these runes are testament to my torture, and also act as conduits for the energy that fills my body," she said, as she flexed her hands and the blackish-purple runes on her hands flashed. suddenly, a multitude of weapons appeared like the first one. catching two in each hand, she caught the last two with her tail. pointing the tips of the weapons in her right hand at him, she let out a slight chuckle.

[kai]

"Nicccccce" He hissed as she pointed all the weapons as him. "Very nicccce" Of course it was up for debate weather he was talking about the weapons as Kai was not looking at them and more at her. "Sounds like a grand tale indeed. "I would love nothing more then to test your body..... in battle" With that he chuckled. "But it would not be fair to you as I am currently very weak." At that he looked down. "As much as I am ashamed to say."

"Perhaps after my wounds have healed I can hunt down these monsters. I hate slavers and will enjoy breaking them"

"Do you have a camp nearby where I can nurse my wounds and drive the ache from my bones?

["Cosmos"]

listening to him, she couldn't help but quietly chuckle. lowering the weapons, she dropped them as they faded away. "i just arrived here in this marshy land, so i haven't had the time to set up any kind of camp. in fact, your the first person i have met in this place," Akrina said, sniffing the damp air. spreading her wings, she motioned for Kai to wait just a minute. jumping up, she nearly shot up towards the top of the nearest tree. landing on the mushroom treetop, she set her eyes on the nearby landscape.

after a few moments, her sharp eyes saw a nice area that would make a good spot. jumping down, she landed remotely lightly on the marshy ground. "i found a good spot, in that direction," she said, turning towards the direction and beginning to walk. "so you know, i would like to test myself against a warrior from this world, like you. so i can't wait until your healed," she said, a grin on her face as she looked back at him.

[kai]

Forcing himself to move with suppressed limps a section of his rock hard skin fell off his shoulder revealing the soft pink flesh underneath. "That may be awhile" He replied to the female as he followed behind her. For her home being destroyed he found this new companion to be awfully calm. Probably suppressed anger Kai figured.

She probably let out all the hate and sorrow in fights. He decided not to pry on the matter until she was ready to speak. Kai knew very well how much he hated others to pry him for information before he was ready to speak of it.

"So how are you liking the surface world?" He asked with a shaky voice as another small section of his rock hard skin fell free into the mud. "If your looking for glory and a good fight you wont find a better place in my opinion. This land is cursed with chaos, conflict, and disorder. A breeding ground for our kind" At the moment he still assumed her to be like him. A hunter of gold, glory, and adventure.

Stopping in his tracks as a bird took off making a racket he added. "While others shy from it. We embrace it and face the chaos with bared teeth."

["Cosmos"]

waiting for him to stop speaking, she just let out a sigh. "personally, i would prefer being back in my world. while i can fight on a level equal to draconic warriors, i don't actively seek fights. i hold the honor and customs of my race, and follow them the best i can. but, i must fight to keep myself from falling," Akrina said, leaving the last part a mystery. pushing aside a bush, she kept it from hitting Kai as she pointed to the area. "this is the place. you might want to put some mud on your skin. it will ease the pain slightly," she recommended, having seen it done before.

[kai]

"The way of the peaceful warrior...." he said lowly. "I know of these ways. Admirable. But a fools vision invented by philosophers that never wandered from there library's to experience it for themselves. No lady dark talon. If I am to earn respect. I must leave my mark in this world. Even now many still look on me as a pathetic weakling unworthy of life."

I have yet to earn a reputation. Or earn my place in the warriors paradise. To die old in bed is a shame I could not bear. I find protecting the weak gives me no glory, but at least it makes me feel good in the chest. It makes me feel the love of beautiful things. Pretty stupid right? What I lack in a poets tongue I make up in honesty.

Grabbing a clawful of mud he rubbed it on the open flesh in his natural armor. "And uh, if you meet anyone that says they know me. I would appreciate it if you did not tell them about this, or what I said about enjoying protecting the weak" pausing to rub more mud on an open would. "And about feeling the love of beautiful things. In fact just say nothing about anything today. I don't want what little reputation I have destroyed. I can just imagine it now. Oh look its Kai! The warrior princess!"

As if to break his rant he looked at the mud in his claw and out of random flung it at the female. "Catch warrior princess"

["Cosmos"]

listening to him, she shrugged her shoulders. knowing he didn't understand what she meant of her words, she decided to let him flow in his misunderstanding until he asked. smiling as she listened to him requested that she not speak of anything of this discussion, she clenched her fist and flexed at him in a friendly but honoring gesture. seeing him fling the mud at her, she closed her eyes a second before it splash across her face. scooping the mud out of her eyes, she let out a friendly laugh.

filling her claw in mud, she threw it at him. "i may be peaceful, i will kick you butt all the way across this swamp without a care," she said jokingly, smiling as mud dripped off her chin.

[kai]

Failing to turn his head he got hit in turn in the face. Plopping his rump unceremoniously in the mud pool he started to splash his fore claws in in. "Well one cant be serious all the time can they" Rolling around now in the mud as happy as a puppy he twisted and turned as the cool earth coated his sore body. Nothing made a earth dragon more happy.

"To think nobles in warfang pay coffers of gems and gold for mud baths and here I am getting one for free" He certainly did see the good everything. "It feels good. I am born of the earth. And one day I shall return to her."

["Cosmos"]

watching Kai roll around in the mud, Akrina couldn't help but laugh. "being serious all the time will make the years build up on you before your time," she said, smiling as she watched him. sitting down, she looked up at the sky. "its good that i wasn't born to nobility. i always find it fun when i think back to my first flight. my father threw me off the highest cliff," she spoke, more thoughtlessly then on purpose.

[kai]

Kai did not get up but continued to lay as he was and listened. "Sounds like a.... loving dad" He was not so sure on that. "I guess its like how some dragons throw there children in the water. Sink or swim. Of course if anybody threw me in water I would sink like a rock. Uh, I hate water. I wish I could tell you a happy story about my childhood. But I just don't have any. Family is not a happy topic and I can never return home to the stone city. To leave means exile."

"Well, now that I think about it I do remember how happy I use to get playing dodge rock. But since coming to the surface world I have learned these dragons run screaming when I try to play it. I wonder why?" That last question he said with a coy smile.