It surely was a difficult scene to watch and listen to, the light-formed spears conjured by the male caster inflicting more and more damage over the time that he was given thanks to Delna’s interference. The sight of two people against the crimson dragon would have been laughable from a different perspective, but considering how quickly the tide had shifted just at the appearance of these two, it went to show that Delna and Aisen were no ordinary individuals. To take down a beast with little to no use of the machines the hunters used required a great deal of control over their abilities and good co-operation skills with one another. It seemed, that if an individual was lacking in one area, say defence, it was most likely that they would be paired with another who focused on attacking power or casting ability. It would make some sense, at least, should one try to assume who took on what role just by watching. 

That was one of the few things Rosalie picked up on whilst watching the two, Delna and Aisen, carefully; they seemed split in their abilities and relied on each other at times if not most. Still, with two against one -the latter fairly injured in the previous battle- it wasn’t much of a fair fight. She was not making note of this out of boredom - she just had an eye out for things that interested her or could be a threat to her. Though it was difficult to watch spears run through Gore’s flesh, Rosalie just did not have the thought to turn away, finding herself staring for a while longer than she should have as the dragon’s cries of anguish echoed through the area.
No amount of thinking could drown out the wrenching screams coming from the woman who had been snatched by Gore and though much of it was left to imagination, it was still gruesome and unnerving to be standing there doing pretty much nothing as the event unfolded. After a while, the screams died down and a projectile actually shot straight out of the cage, landing with a sickening crunch that stirred the imagination of those watching and made them cringe. Those who had figured out what it had been, stepped back out of fear and disbelief, protesting against moving any closer than they had to.

It was only when the prison had lifted, and a dragon sapped of its strength was all there was left of the cruel capture, did Rosalie decide to drop her gaze and step back slowly. It was brief, but as her eyes trailed down, she glimpsed the prone form of Delna -who had been the one to set the prison- in Aisen’s arms. Her body was almost beyond recognition after the abuse she had suffered, and yet, the male still held her as tenderly as he would a child, the sorrow and rage in his eyes burning brightly.
Marian,who had been staring Rosalie down this entire time, must have thought it the best time to act, running forward as quickly as her injuries would allow. Rosalie’s eyes widened and she took in a quick breath at the sound of footsteps rushing toward her, barely having enough time to counter by stepping to the side, grasping the woman’s arm, and using the other’s momentum against her. She ended up kneeling on Marian, careful over putting her full weight onto the woman. Though she contemplated on whether or not she should do so, she instead settled with the thought that she did not want to give the woman anymore injuries to tend to unless left with no choice. 

Hunters, no doubt Marian’s bodyguards, pointed their weapons at Rosalie in warning and she almost jumped away. Almost. “You’re not going to call them off?” She asked the woman who only growled at her in response. “Oh, c’mon... you’re really not in a position to be playing games.”
“And neither are you.”
“I know... I know...” Rosalie sighed, applying only slightly more pressure to gain the reaction she wanted. “I knew it wouldn’t take much to make you cry out. That just proves that if I choose to continue, it’s going to get much worse. Tell me: what do you plan on doing to Gore now that you’ve won? Don’t lie to me, okay?” To prove that she wasn’t playing any games, the girl pushed down a bit more, but to those observant enough, it was easy to see that her confidence was all an act. Surrounded by so many with the potential to harm and even kill? Who wouldn’t be afraid? Still, if she were to allow this mask she had created for herself to shatter more easily than glass, it would no doubt reflect badly on her father.
“Ow, get off of me, brat! ...ugh...If you must know, we plan to sell Gore. Not like you'd care, anyway.” Marian grunted, tensing. She was trying not to show her extreme discomfort, to let Rosalie know that even the most gentlest of touches would bring about pain. She was almost like an injured animal; wary, but fairly dangerous if given the right opportunity, but either way, Rosalie could not afford to make a mistake here.

Occasionally, the girl’s eyes would flicker from face to face, taking note of the position and distance of the hunters who surrounded her. She couldn’t care any less about Delna and Aisen; they were too far away from her and perhaps too tired to waste their time. They’ve gotten their prize, so why bother with anything else?
Being all too aware of her surroundings, the questions Rosalie asked Marian became a bit of a blur; she wasn’t really thinking, even as her eyes settled over the bloodied scales that had fallen from Gore’s body as a result of the struggle to evade his captors. The thought to collect the scales actually did not occur to her despite it being one of the things on the forefront of her mind just moments before and, even if she had wanted to, she couldn’t - not just yet, at least.

Rosalie just found it hard to believe that the dragon, who had been fighting with so much vigour, had finally been reduced to nothing but a pile of sprawled and bloodied limbs. Gore literally did look like a ‘Blood Dragon’ with the grievous injuries he had sustained and it was amazing that Gore was able to stay awake. His tolerance and endurance for pain was admirable, but in the end, he had lost the battle and it was his shame to deal with. 
Rosalie shot Gore one last look, wondering if he would notice it, before she drew her knife and held it to the woman’s neck. “Stand.” She commanded, becoming slightly nervous when the other did not obey. The girl cleared her throat and made a louder demand and this time, it worked. Rosalie would use Marian as a means for ensuring her own safety and if the hunters wanted to save the woman a few additional marks to her skin, they were going to have to comply and clear a path for her. Taking someone hostage was the last thing she wanted to do, but, eyeing one of the Blood Dragon’s scales on the ground, she would have to. After all, she was about to get what she had wanted. 
__

During the time it had taken the party to transport Gore away, Aisen had left Delna under the care of a doctor in another vehicle, his duty forcing him to keep an eye on the beast to make sure the dragon did not struggle against its bonds. It made the man mutter darkly under his breath, already planning what methods he would use against the ancient lizard. They weren’t going to be pleasant, that was for sure. After all, dragons were slaves to humanity so it shouldn’t matter [i]what[/I] methods he used to break the dragon, right? Not many would care as long as Gore was still alive, right? Aisen resisted the urge to laugh at the thought, folding his arms as he leaned back in his seat, telling the driver to speed up so they could get to their little camp. 

“Even if news of the Blood Dragon’s capture spreads quickly, not many would dare come see it for themselves. Not like this.” Aisen said, staring blankly ahead. He felt drained after exerting himself against Gore, and it frustrated him to no end to think he had almost been defeated by an injured dragon. How pathetic! If he had trouble going against Gore like this, he dared not think of how he’d make it through against the dragon at full strength. “Step one is over. Now to move onto step two.” After hearing a short and sharp reply of confirmation from his driver, Aisen sighed and tilted his head back, closing his eyes now. This victory, though, had been at the cost of Delna, his sweet partner whom he trusted with his life. Now she was fighting on her own for hers and he was unable to stay by her side. Aisen had been told that she might not make it through the day and would be lucky to make it to nightfall. Strange that this bothered him. He shouldn’t have grown attached to her, but perhaps, he thought, he had.

Where they were headed was quite secluded, but near enough that they could get to taming the Blood Dragon as quickly as possible for his new owner. Earlier, Aisen had asked one of the members of the party to take an image of Gore at the moment of capture so he could later send to his client. They were always picky and difficult to work with. Why, if they went with his word, it would make his life a heck of a lot easier. Unfortunately, he did not have that luxury.
It took five hours to reach their camp and another hour to unload Gore into a cage that was just big enough for the dragon to curl up in. Should he decide to pay more attention to his surroundings, he would find that this area was actually not so far from a quiet town that could still be seen from where they were. Within the area, small shelters for the hunters dotted the space and in the centre was a large tent. What set this one apart from the others -aside from its size- was that it bore a strange marking which had never been seen in the common dialect. It was unusual and yet, at the same time, it had a place even in this age where technology played a big part in life. The reason why it was so close -roughly two hours away from town- was for the convenience of gathering supplies and gathering information. That was how they had gotten wind of the Blood Dragon and why they had decided to set up camp here just days before attempting the capture.

Aisen approached the cage which held Gore with a stone-cold expression, hands held behind his back. The way he looked at Gore had no room for any other emotion apart from pure resentment for the crimson beast. “You’re lucky, you know, [i]Gore[/I]. As much as I would like to get the process of taming you started, I’ve been advised not to... Heh, not yet, anyway.” He dared to close his hands around the steady bars, glancing very briefly at the lock with a small, electronic panel that flashed with a blue light from time to time. “Best get some rest because tomorrow,” Aisen said slowly, slamming his fist against the cage, “I’ll make you pay for EVER touching Delna. Ancient dragon? Hah! I’ll turn you into an obedient, little dog.” He stared directly into Gore’s eyes, a silent challenge issued. A dragon who had been away from this rapidly changing world was sure to stick to outdated traditions, but unfortunately things have drastically changed, and Aisen was going to make sure Gore knew who was in command here. The land no longer belonged to dragons, but to the ‘lesser beings’ that were larger in numbers: Humans.