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Paon, Ziton, & Velai
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Ziton looked with a raised brow and tilted head at the man before him. Even more so as his demeanour changed from a crippled blind man to a possible threat. His frown began to turn into a smirk and Velai slowly began to move to back to remove herself from between the two. Ziton took his weapon away from Velai, it a barrel now aimed to the ground yet loosely handled in his hand. He turned his head yet kept his eyes on Paon. “Ey boy. Watch the girl.” A blade was tossed to the wall beside Velai from his left hand which was free with a simple and blurring flick of his wrist. 
 
The boy gritted his teeth as his head raised and he closed his teary eyes to nod rapidly and stepped to Velai, his sandals making a soft slapping sound with each step. Ziton’s smile grows as his head rolls back and his eyes look down at Paon. “I see you're one of those dragons masquerading as one of us. But you're not the only one who wears a mask my friend.” He points his left hand’s index finger to his eyes which glowed in the night and re red ring around his pupils. “There's a monster in me too.”
 
Paon tilted his head and watched the frown become a smirk. This one seemed to have just as much fire in him as he did. His eyes remained focused on the man with the bounty and did not even flinch when the blade hit the wall by Velai. Paon was more focused on the possibility of a fight….and saving the girl and if he was lucky getting the boy. 
 
Paon kept his eyes on Ziton as he spoke once more….of course he was looking up and seemed quite non threatening even with his scales visible. “A monster eh….totally couldn't tell by those eyes of yours that something was different.” He slowly moved, as if he was checking the stance of his prey out. He stopped. “And yet...I’m moving more than you. How interesting” Paon seemed to want Ziton to make the first move. There was an odd eagerness in his eyes as well….a plan forming there that was not his usual mode of attack. 
 
“Enough chitchat.” Ziton lifted his weapon up to point it's barrel down at Paon. His finger was placed over the trigger and his eyes were dead set on Paon. “Perhaps you've never seen this before.” He grinned with pearl white teeth with fangs after saying this. The moonlight reflected on the metallic barrel and illuminated the fine smooth texture of the wooden grasp his right hand gripped onto. The boy now lifted the blade from the ground and held it to Velai’s neck with nervous hands. Velai attempted to relax under the rattling knife and looked to the boy who had wide eyes set on Ziton and Paon.
 
Paon looked almost bored once more. His mouth somewhat parted to reveal his fangs coated with a layer of venom causing strings to follow his mouth opening. “I have. And its not very creative for fighting” As he finished the sentence he suddenly moved to the side showing that his species...whatever it was...was built for speed.
 
Paon launched at Ziton aiming to either slice with the blade or bite with his teeth any part of the man. After all, all he needed was a wound to get the venom into so it can do the rest of the job. The back of his mind however was occupied with trying to figure out how to deal with the two innocents. 
 
Ziton chuckled with Paon’s reply. He watched with eager eyes and a smile as this smaller man wavered to the side and fluidly darted at him. The weapon in his hand turned with his arm with a blur as it narrowed down at Paon. “Shatter.” His finger pulled back on the trigger. Ejecting from it was a small circular object that was black in color. It left the end of the barrel with smoke trailing behind it. However once it reached a foot beyond Ziton, still heading toward Paon, it dissipated after coming into contact with what seemed an translucent surface between the two. The air had a crack in it that glowed purely white. The cracks broke like slowly shattering glass between Ziton and Paon. But it remained midair like a giant web. Ziton raised his free hand with a welcoming gesture. 
 
Paon watched as the object flew at him. He had put too much energy behind his launch and found himself turning to avoid injury to whatever this was. The surface cracked and his body hit some of the lines causing cuts to go through his leather and hit his flesh. He ended up with a cut on his side and one on his upper arm. He hissed before landing into a crouch. 
 
Paon slowly stood and twirled the blade now pacing in front of the cracks. A metallic looking fluid oozed out of his wounds in place of bright red blood. He had seen these sort of weapons before...but this was new. His tongue flicked and tasted the scents around him as he paced. It was clear he was trying to think of how to get to Ziton. The pacing and twirling of the blade making him seem aggravated.
 
The slowly rising pace of Ziton’s chuckle could still be heard. He watched with amusement at Paon’s reaction. “I always savor the look on ones face after seeing that.” He spoke as he waved his dangling curls over his face back with a raised head. “Say. Why are you playing hero? Huh? I'll tell you something about these people. They're all hiding something and I'm all about finding it. What's a matter between us descendants have to do with a dragon?” As his words rang out Velai met eyes with the boy and looked calmly at him, sweat still dripping down her face with more accumulating on her forehead. He gulped and slowly calmed with her.
 
Paon shook his head. “Everyone hides something.” He stopped and turned to face Ziton. “You have a very hefty bounty on your head and I really enjoy increasing my numbers” He tilted his head. “As for playing hero….Something new” He turned and paced some more, his throat starting to have a faint rainbow coloration. 
 
Paon had noticed Velai and the boy. His tongue flicked and he no longer smelled quite so much fear from them...so the woman could handle herself a tad. Good to know. He paused and with his eyes moved to the right. It was clear he was trying to tell her to move somewhat. He paced until his throat was now glowing a bright rainbow coloration and stopped directly in front of Ziton. Paon gave his own smile before his mouth opened larger than it should be capable of and rainbow colored flames burst forward with a scorching heat. It was a concentrated flame that had a narrower flame, but was still large enough to almost burn the child should they have not moved.
 
As Paon gently paced a foreign object was placed between Ziton’s lips. It dangled a bit with its paper white exterior and thin shape, though it was shaped to be thinner at the ends. He lifted the object from his lips and held it between his index and ring finger. “Ah I see. So that's how it is.” His smile remained as he spoke. The boy was coerced by Velai’s calming scoot back and her hard stare to Paon to move. But only reaching the wall far wall a few feet away.
 
Ziton watched the rainbow glow emerge from Paon’s flesh. His eyes widened with awe at the colors and lifted up the small object he had. The flames broke through the small openings the cracks allowed. However doing so broke the flames up. Ziton waved his hand upward to match the sparks of colorful flames that threatened to meet him. 
 
“It's too late. You lost the moment I pulled this trigger.” The small openings that were made between the cracks lifted and faded away into pure white. The flames were cut off as barely any of the rainbow sparks made it to Ziton. The rest were absorbed into the white barrier and fizzled away as it did so. The white barrier was entirely 2 dimensional and remained with an unnatural aura. It was circular despite the acute edges and 5 feet wide and tall a few feet off the ground before Ziton and Paon. Ziton's chuckle could be heard once more. His object now lit with flames as it rested in his lips and smoke plumed from his nostrils. 
 
Paon managed to end the flame and close his mouth. Swallowing as steam escaped his own nostrils. He tilted his head at the small openings and then blinked as they became one solid circle. Too bad Ziton was able to not get roasted before the web became a shield. “Clever” His voice was soft and he slowly paced once more. Though this time he seemed to be up to something. He sheathed his dagger as he moved.
 
“Though you say lost like I had something to lose.” He stopped. “This was different. You have showed me I need to practice more if I am to kill during the day” He bowed before suddenly lunging for velai and the child. It seemed his intent was to grab her and run off with her and possibly the boy as well. In his mind he hoped he had calculated the length of the webbing correctly. His movements were fast and oddly silent as he moved.
 
The boy Paon went for gasped as he was rushed at. He closed his eyes and winced and Velai attempted to stand and reached a hand to grab Paon’s hand. The boy’s cloak was gripped onto by Velai. She aimed to bring the boy with them. However as Ziton stood and puffed away and Paon rushed to escape with the two the boy in Velai’s grasp opened his eyes before they reached the door and brought his knife down to try and cut Paon’s shin with wild slashes. Tears dripping from his eyes from fear.
 
Paon gripped velai tight and mentally approved of her grabbing the boy. He was also mentally glad that he had decided to have his scales out as the boy tried to slit his shin. He focused on getting to the door and getting out the door. Rushing at the fastest speed he could in this two legged shape. 
 
Managing to get out Paon now focused on leaving. With an inhale he began to rush back to the entrance of the inn. His mind thinking that Ziton would not try to attack them when surrounded by people and also hoping that the guy was too slow to keep up. He also hoped the kid would stop slashing at his legs. Did the boy really want to stay with that guy that badly? He really did not seem to understand that angle. Paon flicked his tongue and managed to not wince as the two wounds he had sustained still hurt and moving this fast was bound to catch up to him. He shook his head as he moved and instead decided to focus on his goal of making it out of there.
 
“Open.” Ziton spoke and his words echoed through the 2 dimensional white barrier. It fell inward as it distorted the form of reality around it into a tunnel that revealed the back Paon’s running form. The boy seemed to notice the distortion behind them as Ziton stood, still in the room, but right behind them. He aimed the weapon again and fired while reaching in with his free hand and grabbing the boy’s hand. The projectile he fired hurtled towards the back of Paon’s right shoulder. Ziton then yanked to try and pull the boy free and into the tunnel. 
 
Paon heard something. Something that sounded like it would hurt when it hit him. He inhaled and kept his grip on Velai, hoping that she could keep her grip for a moment. The projectile was headed close and he felt the tugging still from Ziton. He had to think fast, and what he came up with...was his tail. His long tail seemed to take awhile to sprout out of him in his point of view...but reality it was fairly quick. 
 
Paon felt the projectile hit his shoulder and hissed knowing that he wasn’t quite fast enough. It felt like the thing had broken on impact as well causing smaller pieces to go into his already open wound. If he didn’t have that wound he probably would have been okay. His tail suddenly swept and attempted to coil around the boy before Ziton could pull the boy from Velai...but he couldn’t see behind him so it was more wild guessing and sound based movements than anything else. That and the bright feathers at the tip and slightly curled horn like spikes probably did not help with trying to coil without injury.
 
Just as Paon did Velai attempted to hold onto the boy. Her vocals letting a scream escape as the boy used his hands to both cut Velai and grab her chain within her tunic top. Ziton gripped the boy’s cloak and pulled. The boy had a slightly more serious face but it was painted with unease and fear. He wildly swung his knife to Paon’s tail as he kicked to stay free and broke away with Velai’s chain.
 
Velai fell back into Paon from the chain snapping and as the boy was brought into the collapsed tunnel of reality it began to close rapidly. Finally leaving nothing behind from it's presence. Velai breathed heavily after catching herself on Paon and looked to him. “Back in the room! I have to stop him!” She cried out as sleepy patrons too afraid of the battle outside to sleep tonight watched what happened with silent confusion.
 
Paon growled as the boy tried to stab his tail. It made it too hard to coil around the boy and he felt the sudden tension release as the boy was snagged by Ziton and Velai was suddenly released into his arms ending with him holding her to his chest. Paon managed to stop himself as she shouted for him to stop and winced. Sensitive to loud noises that loud volume hurt.  Paon stared at her blankly as his tail slowly went back into his shapeshifted form. “...You want me to go back in there?” He shook his head. “You are insane. Besides...it sounded like they needed you to find what they were looking for...without you they can’t get it” He winced as he continued to hold her with one heavily damaged shoulder. “I think it’s better for us to get out of here and be more safe somewhere rather than you staying here with your information” He started to walk clearly the pain was starting to get to him to some degree. His shoulder hurting more than his side at this point. “I am not going back there when i wounded myself to get you out of there.” 
 
Velai shook her head. “You're wrong. They took my key I have to get it back.” She placed a tender hand on Paon’s shoulder. “I can't heal but I can ease the pain and expedite the recovery…” Her hand glowed with a pure white aura and washed over Paon and his soul with a warm light. “You don't have to come…”  She said with a sorry expression. But she realized by his bloody wounds and what transpired she alone could not stop Ziton. 
 
Papers flew across the room as shelves were emptied. Ziton kicked over Mirror’s desk and his orb fell and broke on the floor and crumbled to silver moonlit dust. The boy behind Ziton locked the door with Velai’s key as he was told to and stood and watched Ziton make a mess of Mirrors room. “Ah… I see.” Ziton’s eyes met the photo of Mirror on the wall and lifted it. There was a wall safe. Ziton looked over it carefully before bringing out two tools that were dark in color. He tapped them together and then placed in the keyhole of the safe.
 
When one would return to the locked door and break inside they will find the room a complete mess. The bed was flipped, tables turned and papers thrown around. The window would be wide open with an eerie wind blowing the curtains into lively dances.

[@Rai]