The Dragon, who used flames to mark his passage through lands inhabited by humankind; who was depicted as fierce, merciless and even a waking nightmare to whole armies sent to stand -and later fall- before him was strangely compliant. It may or may not have been the most accurate of comparisons, but Rosalie believed it reminded her of a child calming down slightly after being given their way. Of course, there was no telling what Gore wanted. It was obvious that he didn’t want her anywhere near him, but she couldn’t leave empty-handed. If she had, then what would be the point of her trailing after him and wasting energy that could easily be preserved? [i]No[/I] Rosalie defiantly thought even as the snapping of the arrow between his teeth had caused her to flinch. She had imagined that to be the sickening crunch of her bones should she be hasty and thoughtless enough to act against this fire-breathing lizard. [i]He took away what could have been my only chance...[/I] Her eyes remained settled over him, sharp and alert as she slowly withdrew her hand that had been holding the arrow into a fist. As gentle as Gore had been, she still wanted to check she had her five digits.

[i]The flames he spews also matches his temper, but weren’t all dragons like that at one point? ‘Snarling and snapping, biting and butchering humans like lambs to the slaughter’.[/I] At least, that was what Rosalie had seen and read in old books. There were even paintings that had a red lizard standing atop a mound of armoured corpses against a dark backdrop, rivulets of blood branching away from the centre to gather in pools illuminated by the flames. Would she be joining them?
Despite the mental image, Rosalie forced herself to hesitantly climb over Gore’s leathery wing and onto his back, treading carefully and never failing to check where Gore’s head was at all times - especially whenever she had located an arrow. He had an elongated neck, and he could very well use it whenever her gaze was averted. The many times Rosalie did glance over at him, however, she thought she had glimpsed some sort of emotion in his unguarded eyes. Was she seeing things? She dismissed the thought as quickly as it had come and by the time she was on the ground again, rain fell on cue as if the clap of thunder had made announcement for the next performance. She never did mind the rain, and she never did hate it; she just found it inconvenient at times. THIS, was one of those moments, and it somehow gave Gore the right to push her about even if it was to keep her dry.

For a long while, Rosalie did not make any move to go near the flame despite how curious she was and how quickly she was beginning to feel the cold. There had been much control used to create the fire burning before her, the young woman struggling to believe that the dragon lying curled in the rain was the very same one to produce the fire which had almost - entirely - engulfed the field he had fought on. Those flames he breathed had been for destruction and this flickering flame, tiny in comparison to earlier ones produced, harboured a different intent entirely. Gore just seemed so different. She was able to see his experience at least, the flame contradicting her earlier thoughts over Gore’s temper for now. She would like to believe she saw [i]some[/I] control but on the other hand, she could have been completely wrong. 

Though the wind was gentle, almost being drenched in the rain made the chill seem more bitter than it should. It was just the push Rosalie needed to slowly, step by slow step, head towards the warmth with a sigh of resignation that was almost drowned out by another growl of thunder. Rosalie settled her backpack down beside her as she knelt and extended her hands, taking in the heat while she occasionally glanced over the fire to Gore. He was staring intently at something - or nothing at all whenever she tried to follow his gaze. All her eyes would ever land on was the sword she had dug into the ground whenever she scanned their surroundings. Though it sat completely useless out there, it did well in drawing attention from the fact that she was still armed with two blades on her person. Still, could he have been pretending to be oblivious to the potential harm she could do? The amount of trust -which isn’t very much to begin with- hanging between them was mutual, it appeared. If she wouldn’t leave earlier, now she had all the more reason to stay because of this weather.

The pitter-patter of rain against Gore’s leathery wing distracted Rosalie. Why was he giving her shelter and warmth when he could just as easily have left her out in the rain? She would have understood that more than she did this, at least, as it was highly unexpected of such a fierce beast, a murderer of ten thousand or more, to show...kindness. She would not take it for granted lest she be pushed out into the rain, yet she couldn’t help but wonder; maybe this dragon was slightly different to what history and the books have written or maybe he was looking for a quick snack. If the latter as opposed to the former was true -which the girl firmly believed it to be so- now would be a great time to act. Still, all he did was stare unseeingly before him. Rosalie took in a deep breath, sat herself down, drew her legs closer to her body to keep warm and pulled her travelling cloak tighter around herself, thinking.

If she hadn’t been mistaken, Gore had been a bit distracted by something earlier - something that made him forget she had been standing in front of him. She didn’t really care; the thought just struck her as odd. Until now, she didn’t think dragons A: thought for themselves or B: had the capability of dwelling on something other than defiance against people. Some dragons in slavery accepted their fate, while the more stubborn fought back. Rosalie counted Gore among the latter, but for that brief moment, she was ignored just like she was now. It was as if the threat had been swept to the side and under a rug for the moment, Rosalie only able to describe it as ‘unreal’ in a sense. She was lucky to have made it this far without yet being eaten, but she would see if she could push her luck just that one bit further.

Rosalie knew she should have listened to her father when he had tried teaching her to take her time solving problems instead of just rushing in like she always did. She had a habit of just seeking something out mainly because she wanted to test how far a certain thought of hers would go without a plan. Such life lessons would come in handy in more situations than one, but no, she kept focused on something else. Would it help her? She still had yet to find out. She knew she had been planning this outing for quite a few years, now, but when it actually came to departing? The girl had made preparations the night before and not two nights -or more- earlier like advised by the wiser two, Sigmund and Eric. It showed she hadn’t planned on any of this happening, really, and it had been a plan more for a quick trip to the nearest city - that was, until she came across Glenn and his company of hunters entering her hometown. She was here because she followed [i]him[/I] and for what in the end? Only to have him die without answering her questions? The girl suppressed a groan at the thought and bowed her head, listening to the drumming of the rain.
~
She remembered her escape from home and it had been rushed. Voices, most notably her father’s among others, issued out orders and reports while demanding that those capable enough to defend the gates did so to the best of their abilities. Huge explosions easily tore down the northern gate of the large city, Galtea Aborus, causing the ground to tremble from impact and crockery in the main room to rattle to the point of almost falling off the shelves. It wasn’t a full scale assault, but it may very well just have been the first wave from the opposition. First wave or third wave, it still called for a response. 

The girl was old enough to figure out what was going on and the fear had settled in her stomach like stone to the bottom of a lake. Setton, her father, hid whatever grim thoughts that must have been running through his mind at the time, but thinking back to it now, it was as clear as day. How could she have misinterpreted that expression of his for something else, something entirely opposite to what he was really feeling? Perhaps the flurry of panic was enough to prevent the usually calm from seeing clearly. Due to his position, it was no surprise that he would be targeted like this; he was a man who could make or break an army and that was considering if he had the mind to cooperate. If it could be helped, he would stay away from conflict, but since this was forced, one could imagine the decision he would soon be forced to make.

Then, she was running, having no time to gather her belongings or any precious collectibles she may have accumulated over the years. There simply hadn’t been enough time to run to her room and back out the door, but what else could have mattered more than the objects, a pendant and a pocket watch, she had just been given? Rosalie was running away from her troubles, but what choice did she have? Even if she had wanted to, he wouldn’t have allowed her to stay, anyway...

~

[i]Sometimes I wonder if I’m running away by doing this, too.[/I] Rosalie, after a while, finally raised her head, looking out into the surrounding area once more. She hadn’t said anything in a while, just happy enough to listen to the rain. Gore still hadn’t eaten her or made a move to, either, so it must be -somewhat- safe. Silently, she rose to her full height and folded her arms, rocking back and forth on her feet. No doubt such an action, no matter how quiet, would get Gore’s attention. She wasn’t going to hit him. He might as roll over her and that would be the end of it since she was so close. Rosalie cleared her throat.“Um...Gore? For earlier... thank you.” She glanced at his wing still shielding her from the rain briefly as she continued, “I wanted to ask if you’d...maybe agree since you’ve had time to think about it. If you won’t help me...or allow me to become your guide, then I just need a scale from you. Afterwards, I’ll leave.” Rosalie bit her lower lip, already regretting her words - especially the last three having been said louder than the rest of her sentence.

At the exact same time, though, Rosalie thought she had glimpsed movement out of the corner of her eye, but she couldn’t be sure. No, it wasn’t Gore’s tail. It was something else, but because the rain obstructed her view, Rosalie was hesitant to act. Instead, she pretended not to take notice of the movement until she was able to properly confirm what it had been. “I must be seeing things...” she grumbled quietly to herself, but even then, her body remained tense like a cat ready to spring. [i]They must have their reasons for moving in the rain. What did Setton say? More cover? I get that...but...doesn’t it mean..more noise? No, wait... was it something else? Nngh...I knew I should have listened to him![/I] 

The next few moments were tense and agonising to wait out, this particular atmosphere overstaying its welcome like a bad stench. It was quiet save for the sound of falling rain and the crackling of the small flame near her, but they were nothing more than minor details to her at the moment. Her main focus was what was out there - not what was near her at the moment. Rosalie’s eyes flickered from left to right, squinting through the rain to see if she could pick out anymore movement, waiting patiently, but that patience was starting to draw thin very quickly. If she wasn’t already on edge being this close to the dragon, where this was heading was starting to agitate her even more. What was worse, Rosalie did not believe she had the necessary equipment to take on someone from afar. This caused the girl to make a mental note to herself to remedy that as soon as an opportunity presented itself.

Rosalie’s uncertainty made her forget about the cold for just a moment, though. She would not rely on the dragon for protection and neither would she rely on him for whatever small bit of hospitality he was showing her, her dislike for him making her stubborn, but her fear of him reminding her to keep those thoughts - as well as any actions that would express her emotions clearly - to herself. It was not him who needed her, but she who needed him. As Rosalie had said earlier, she would leave him be as long as he was willing to give her a scale. It wouldn’t be easy. He wanted to be rid of her and this was just one of the easier ways out. While Rosalie was in deep thought, another one of those arrows she had spent quite some time pulling out of Gore landed just a few metres off from where she and Gore was positioned. A few minutes after that, a voice rang out through the rain, ordering that Gore surrender.	

~

“Don’t fight us. You know we’ve got you outnumbered, Gore!” The words oozed with poison, the Blood Dragon’s name drawn out slowly and menacingly. This time, it was a woman’s voice, stern and demanding. She strode forward with all the confidence of a cat about to catch her prey, stopping a good distance away as soon as she was no longer hidden behind the surrounding trees. Her dark hair, soaked by rain, had been pulled back and like Rosalie, did not seem to be wearing armour like her fellow companions. Instead, she was in clothing that allowed for easy maneuverability. “Though you’ve managed to evade us earlier, we’ve managed to catch up. After all, how can we allow our dear Blood Dragon to slip away when he’s injured, hmm?” She laughed delicately behind her hand, “and we find you’ve lured a girl here, as well? I’m sorry, young one, but we’ll be taking our catch in, now. We can’t let him escape a second time now, can we?” As if to help emphasise her statement, the newly embedded arrow’s fletching suddenly opened and sparked with electricity. “Your choice, Blood Dragon... Come with us quietly and we promise to take good care of you until we give you to a new owner. It may very well be me, hehe. So, what will it be?”

Marian was quite calm, but her eyes glimmered with the hope of catching the Blood Dragon. In order for that to happen, they would strike when he was weak and be sure that he did not get the time to recover from his wounds. They were so close, after all. The woman narrowed her eyes distastefully at the girl the dragon was shielding from the rain, slightly irritated by the younger one’s presence. No matter. The goal was capturing and taming the Blood Dragon and should this girl get caught up in the battle, then it was no real loss. After all, Marian already had a few deaths on her hands to report. This would add to it, but who had to know? It could easily be dismissed, so if the child knew what was good for her, she had better start running. Even now, the girl appeared unnerved enough to take a few hasty steps back and grab her backpack. The scene made Marian smirk. [i]You’ve always been on your own, haven’t you, Blood Dragon? Oh, how bored you must be![/i] Secretly, the woman hoped he would be willing to play for a little while before giving in. After all, there was no fun in a catch that resigned too easily and quickly.