What is Next? [Invite/Slayg]

Slayg just hung there as he was flown away from the chaotic scene of what had been a snowy battleground... and was now a crowded, glassed few miles.  He pondered his next move, trying to decide on how to best to move on.  He had nowhere near the powers of that other man that had come in, and he was also outclassed against the boy.  Only the overwhelming burn of his first burst of flame had saved him.  That and the white-haired boy being unfamiliar with fighting against quadrupeds, while Slayg was more than familiar with the motions a humanoid figure could make.  And how to use his size to his advantage.

Eventually, just a few scant miles away from where he'd been mistaken for a boulder... they touched down.  First him, falling to the ground with a heavy *thud* that shook the ground.  As the oddly-shaped dragon got his bearings, down came the young girl.  Whose name Slayg had not yet gotten.  His long and sinuous neck stretched, as did his wings, the fingers on said wings, and his tail.  Following that, were all four of his stubby limbs... one of which soon scratched at the scar on his fat, peach-colored belly.

His eyes  then focused on the girl as she landed in front of him... and began to lecture him.  This irritated the dragon, and growled a bit as she went on, while letting out a small puff of flame.  Only after a moment did he realize what her tone carried.  That realization brought a wide grin to his fur-tufted face.  The poor lady probably got a good eyeful of all of his sharp fangs when he did, along with his tongue when he parted those fangs to let out a chuckle or two.

"Heheheh... I had all of the information I needed, child.  He was foolishly curious and easy to rile.  While also haughty about his own position in the world.  I have dealt with his kind before... and I could smell his power.  I could feel it as well.  I knew his strength well before I struck my first blow."

That was a little bit of a lie, of course.  The boy, Collan, had been hiding his power at first.  Slayg hadn't known his full power until after he'd challenged his foe to a fight.  He'd still figured things out rather quickly.  And it seemed that the girl hadn't been able to read anything at all.  At least not from how she spoke.

"You needn't be concerned for the Might Slayg.  I have defeated far greater foes than that brat of a "hero"."

Slayg just grumbled... it was true, he hadn't taken into account the boy's allies.  He'd thought that someone so foolish wouldn't think to bring back-up.  Then again...

"From the way he was acting, he hadn't taken help arriving into consideration either."  After saying this, the horse-sized beast took a good whiff of the air.  He could still catch their scents and power on the wind.  The pair were still too close to the action they'd fled, it seemed...  They could take a moment to rest, but they would have to move again in a short while.

One of the dragon's ears remained fixed on Maxxie as she spoke, while the other swiveled this way and that.  Trying to listen for any sounds of pursuit.  The rest of his body might as well have been a statue as he listened.  The only movement on the rest of his body was the gentle expansion and deflation caused by his breathing, and the blinking of his half-lidded eyes.  Little wisps of smoke filtered up from his nostrils, rising to disappear in the wind.

When Maxxie asked her question, and revealed her name, he grinned.  While filing away "Collan" for later... he hadn't caught the brash boy's name.  So focused was he on punishing the lad...

"I had every reason to fight him, child.  He showed disrespect... challenged me, Slayg, to combat!"  He gave a harrumph that was accompanied by a spurt of flame.  Along with a stomp of one of his stubby legs on the ground... it was delivered with enough power to leave a dent in the dirt and melting snow.  Along with shaking the ground.  "Not to mention, he tried to block me from doing as instinct and nature command me!  Instinct and nature called me to burn that village, child.  To raze it to the ground and plunder its treasure!  Allow the survivors to flee and spread the name SLAYG in hushed whispers or tearful shouts!"  He unfurled his wings as he said this, a wide grin split his muzzle.  A wide grin that showed off his many fangs that crammed their way into his mouth.  His tone had grown more and more eager as he went on... though he soon calmed down.

He folded his wings back up, his sinuous neck folded back down so he was once more staring at her.  The grin faded somewhat as he continued, in a more calm and reasonable tone... "You see, it is my nature to do so.  To burn and pillage, and spread my name to the world."  He shrugged as he leaned to the left and stretched out a wing.  Offering her his back to sit on again.

"It is the cycle of things.  I take to the skies, humans and zoans see me and hear my name... Then they either bow or burn.  I take what I wish from the ashes, then I sleep to feed on their nightmares and stories.  After a few years, I return, and add more fuel to their fear.  And so on and so on, for centuries at a time."

He said this so casually...  With no hint at remorse for what he had done over generations and centuries of time.

Slayg began to walk through the snow after Maxxie got onto his back.  The area of soft fur was much smaller than when he'd been in his larger form... but it was still nice and soft.  And quite warm.  Though if she wasn't careful, she might find her legs hitting the far hotter, rock-like scales of his hide.  The ride was probably something like a ride on a boat, as his stubby legs and large belly caused him to waddle over the ground...

He listened to the girl's questioning... and idly chuckled as he did.  It was all so comical to him.  Her confusion... her lack of fear.  Then again, she had no reference for his might.  No knowledge of what he'd done so long ago.  His chuckles faded, and his grin turned to a scowl as he realized how far he had fallen.  No knowledge of his name, not even in the minds of scholars.  His power had been drastically reduced...  And he had no idea what this world was even like any more.  Just that it was filled to the brim with warriors that would have made him balk even at his full power.

"Feh, I have no species, child.  There is only one Slayg, and that is me.  I was born from the magic of nightmares and stories... Given life by fear and a name.  Of course, my cycle did have more than one motive... You see, child, for your kind, names have power.  Not the given ones, the true titles.  If one gifted in the mystical arts learns your true name, you are beholden to him.  It is the key to your very soul's identity... but also your chain.  Now, for me, my true name and given name are the same.  And my true name cannot be used against me, only for me.  The more that know my name, the more power I can from their stories and dreams as I slumber."

His swaying body came to a stop for a moment.  And his sinuous neck turned and twisted so he could look at Maxxie's eyes with his own.  Their slited pupils stared at her as he added... "THAT is part of why I would wake up every few years, to spread my name again.  And then gain more power as I slept in my den.  Of course, I had nothing else to strive for back then.  No "hero" could stand up to my might.  Even the very god and guardian of this world cowered in fear from his palace in the sky."  He turned back around... once more walking (and swaying) as he let out a deep, long fit of laughter.  Laughter that echoed up from his belly like rolling boulders.  "All feared and trembled at the mere mention of my name.  There was no need for me to want for anything, for I already possessed the world.  Every  treasure on this world belonged to ME!  Kings bowed before me alongside their peasants.  Feasts were held by starving masses to give to me when I arrived.  The skies were mine, for nobody could reach the heights I could soar.  Not even the clouds or the Kami."

As he blathered on, his reminiscing took him to a particularly unpleasant memory.  He growled as he remembered it, losing his smile again.  "At least until he trapped me..."

Slayg just grumbled and grunted as he listened to Maxxie attempt to understand his reasoning.  She was close... very, very close.  But not quite all the way there.  At least not from the dragon's perspective and inflated ego.  His eyes and ears scanned around in all directions with constant, furtive glances.  He felt quite ashamed of having to do so, like a frightened deer.  But he didn't want to be caught off guard by any of the immense powers present all over the globe...

"That's impossible, I'm afraid... the man has been dead for millenia.  While I was trapped, he lived his life... gained prestige and stories... and was forgotten over centuries.  Feh..."  He gave a most annoyed huff, which was accompanied by a spurt of noxious smoke from his mouth.  After a quick taste of the air with his tongue... he closed his maw again... swaying and marching on in silence.  So much snow on the ground.  Then again, it had been one of the reasons he'd made a den in the North.  Normal humans rarely ever came to such forbidding places.

"But I know who I shall exact vengeance from.  The latest Guardian of the world, and said Guardian's disciples.  That is my goal.  Their floating palace shall be made to fall from the sky, their students roasted and devoured!  And with them gone, I shall be powerful enough to once more spread my name, uncontested... untouchable!"

He gave another low and rumbling laugh at that thought.  Such beautiful carnage and destruction would be spread... And the new trinkets and treasures of the world would be his to claim...

Slayg gave a small harrumph and growl in reply.  Sending out a puff of smoke through his nostrils.  "One thousand?  Feh... closer to TEN THOUSAND...  Stuck and cramped in a tiny, stone urn... I was awake for every moment.  And spent every second I was stuck trying to escape.  Perhaps I was foolish to do so, as I did little more than waste my power...  Though I did escape eventually."

The horse-sized monster then turned his sinuous neck about, glancing off into the distance.  His whiskers twitched, and his nose sniffed the air.  He could smell more men.  And the odors that their strange, horseless chariots made when they ran over the ground.  There was that nearby village he'd been planning on attacking.  He harrumphed and continued on his way.  He was too close to those strong "heroes" that had opposed him.  If he burned this village down, they would find him before he could escape.

Especially that fast one with the tail.  He had moved so quickly that Slayg's eyes couldn't track him.  And the blow he'd delivered had almost broken through the dragon's armored scales.  He would have to keep eyes out for other such powers.  Stay below their notice.

As he heard the female human's offer, he chuckled.  That low, rumbling laugh of his.  Like an old man was gargling boulders.  "Heheheh...  Suppose I accept your aid, child...  Suppose you help me gain the power I need, and destroy the Kami of this world.  What do you want in return?  Power at my side?  Men?  Women?  Food?  Gold?"

Slayg gave a small snort of smoke from one nostril as he sneered.  "Training?!  I am a dragon, not a warrior.  I do not train, I feed from dreams..."  After the girl got off his back, the rusty old beast then moved to stretch a few of his limbs.  Along with his neck and tail.  As he did that, he felt a sharp spike of pain near the base of his wings, where he'd taken that blow from the rather strong friend of the foolish warrior.

He tried to cover up the wince he made with a growl.  The ancient monster didn't want some young girl losing her fear of him because he'd taken a bad blow, or shown weakness.  He wanted her to fear him... Or, at the very least, respect his power.  "Though I suppose I must learn how to combat these flying warriors that use the energy of their spirit with skill that outstrips even the greatest masters of my youth."

The dragon listened as the woman laid out her proposition.  His lips curled up into a dangerous grin, one which showed all of his sharp teeth.  That forked tongue of his lapped out to taste the air.  The village he'd been intending to burn was still too close... but there was the scent of another on the air.  It was quite some miles away, but still, surprisingly close for this cold and desolate corner of the world.  One of his cat-like eyes met hers, noting the blank look in her face.  It was a rather good gambler's visage.  The face of someone that didn't want to betray any of their inner thoughts.

After that, he looked ahead... his lips closed.  And he made a big show of mulling over her proposal.  The beast even stopped moving so he could use the hand on his right wing to scratch under his chin.

"Hrrrrmmmm...  You will help me to regain power... and all I must do is help you obtain a single object..."  He let out a small growl, the thought of letting anyone have even one thing that he might desire was against his very nature.  But he was weak, and he needed aid for the short term.  Besides, what was one trinket or artifact compared to the thousands he would have soon?  And there was no reason he couldn't simply change his mind later and take the object when it came up.

"Fine then, girl.  We have a deal.  You become my servant, and I shall help you regain your lost possession.  Now, as for the village..." 

He began to walk again, waddling his fat belly in a new direction.  Towards the other village he'd sniffed out.  "There are others nearby to burn and plunder.  Far enough away from those other warriors that I shouldn't need to rest.  Come along, young... Maxxie, was it?  The fear won't spread itself!  ...At least not until we plant the seed."