[center][img]http://i1364.photobucket.com/albums/r729/EmyriaShade/imageedit_9_8512535590_zps0263f851.jpg[/img][/center]

The Bain and Hoyle Sponsored mansion, that had been bought and converted into a lair for a ‘dragon’ was quiet in the depths of the night. The staff who maintained the building had left for the evening and there was no security force to guard it at night. Besides what lived inside was more of a deterrent than a bunch of goons in uniforms could ever be.

But that didn’t stop a pair of men from slipping in under the cover of the darkness. They both were wearing black clothes and ski masks. One of them had a gun stuck into the back of his pants and the other held a set of lockpicks that he had just used to jimmy open one of the side entrances. 

“You sure about this Tony?” The man with the lockpicks asked his partner in a whisper as the door slid open. “This is way above our normal hits.”

“Ya bro, my cousin Roger delivered food orders here. Last time he got a look around inside, it’s a gold mine.” Tony whispered back as the two men walked through doorway and into a kitchen full of archaic culinary instruments. Old fashioned spits and meat hooks hung over fire pits and racks of knives were displayed on many walls. A giant walk in freezer was the only obvious sign of modernity in the large kitchen

“The fuck?” The man with the lockpicks said in an exhalation.

“Roge said some odd lady lived here, a wealthy collector or something.” 

“Right. And this is really her dungeon.” The nervous man shot back uneasily as his eyes flickered over the kitchen. 

“He also said she goes around half naked in a bathrobe and was a 10.” Tony continued with a lecherous grin. “Let’s hope she’s home.” He pantomimed thrusting with his hips and laughed. 

When his partner still seemed unconvinced Tony pushed by him and walked through a door at the far end of the kitchen. He swung a flashlight around, illuminating the walls of the hallway. Pedestals lined it on either side, pedestals holding up antique weapons and armor and most of the armor and some of the weapons looked like it had been scorched in fire. 

“Can we even sell this stuff?” Lockpicks asked, breaking the silence as the two men looked over the hall and it’s lining of trophies. 

“I dunno.” Came Tony’s reply as the big man ambled over to one of the pedestals and lifted up the large two handed sword that rested on it. Black ash stained his fingers as he took a mock swing. “But I’ve always wanted one of these.” He struck a pose, lifting up the sword. “All hail the king!” 

“Shut up already.” A whispered voice cut him off. “We’ve wasted enough time, let’s find whatever valuables your cousin saw, bang the lady and get the hell out of here.”
“Way to kill a man’s fun bro.” The large man grumbled back but he started moving again. 

The flashlights shone on new walls as the two men came to another room. This room’s walls were covered with a series of tapestries showing scenes from battles of knights and lords against dragons. But the tapestries didn’t show the victory and triumph of the men, but ended with cities burning and dragons gorging themselves on the slain men.

“Those we can sell” Tony said after a moment, “Let’s find the lady, and grab some artifacts and get out of here.”

Meanwhile Lockpicks was becoming more and more unsettled by the strangeness of the mansion and he just nodded and followed Tony onwards. Eventually they found a cavernous room with a high ceiling and a massive indoor pool. Tony looked confused and his flashlight hung by his side, swinging slightly and sending strobing lights across the water.

“This makes no sense.” The large man said finally. “Didn’t we just walk through a dressing room? This should be the bedroom.” He shook his fist that held the light. “Where’s the lady?”

“We shouldn’t be here.” Lockpicks stammered, looking around nervously. Was that a ripple in the pool? He wasn’t sure but he suddenly knew this was not the easy robbery job Tony had said it would be. 

“What are you going on abou” the big man started as he turned towards his comrade before the still water suddenly erupted. Half of his body disappeared into the mouth of the creature that had just revealed itself. 

Lockpicks could only scream in terror as Tony vanished. But his screams were mercifully short as the creature swung its head around to fix him with one of its, no her, somehow he knew, eyes. Then her mouth opened and she lunged forwards and the man knew no more.

________________________________________________________________

I so enjoy it when food comes to me. I don’t really like the taste of raw human and I do get reprimanded when I eat them, though the normal humans are such dreadful little creatures that I still don’t quite understand why. Besides they were in my house and robbing me of MY trophies.

My tongue flicks through my rows of teeth to try and pick out a piece of bone that had gotten stuck between them as I let out a satisfied exhalation. I doubt I can fall back asleep now since I’ve never slept that well right after I’ve eaten and I have to make sure these fools didn’t do any damage. I prop my front limbs up on the side of the pool as I start to lever my body out of the water and I let myself change.

When I emerge I’m almost human and I brush long white hair out of my face with a hand as I slip into a freshly cleaned silken bathrobe from a rack by the wall. But I can barely start to walk out the door before a metal sphere flies in. The fools who tried to rob me must have left the door open. I remind myself to check the doors before reaching out to unpack and read the message.
_________________________________________________
Leave it to Atticus to pick a location that was on the coast where wind and the dry salt air would make my skin crack within hours. I’m not just relying on my slime though, lotion is a wonderful human invention and it does help. I slip through a portal that I called in a favor to have opened and walk out into the circle of stones at Ardgroom. 

Neither the cold nor heat bothers me so my clothing rarely changes and I wear the diaphanous silk gowns that I always have. Today it is white like my skin and I take pride in even my human form's appearance, but my hair is left unstyled. He really should have given us more forewarning before the meeting I decide but I hold my tongue, technically he outranks me despite seniority though my five hundred years of service make me rather unique.

I glance around the circle at the others who have arrived, I know most of them by reputation if not in person and I know of their competence. "Atticus." I speak and break the silence as I lower my head in a gesture of mutual respect that I am sure he will return. "It is good to see you again. I regret that in the chaos I went unawoken and could not aid against Decima." Anger still smolders inside after that, there was no excuse and the old servant who ordered the others not to wake me was later revealed to have been an agent of the enemy but still sleeping through a great battle is not my role. I ate him after his treachery was revealed.