[[Ty apologises for being a butt. As anyone who rp's with her should probably know by this point, she does normally reply quite regularly, but she sometimes has these like. Long slumps of... Well, it ain't quite writer's block, but the only thing she can produce suck and even she admits that a group of monkeys with typewriters could do much better. :I]]

A dracolian. That was what stood before the young warrior, clear as day, although a pathetic excuse for a dracolian is what it was. Most dracoliani had scales that gave off a metalic lustre, and eyes that glowed bright, even in the day. The scales of the once-mighty beast that dared to attack Damien Frescalt, however, were dull, it's eyes dim and lifeless. Even the talons and horns, usually as dark as pitch on a moonless night, were more grey than black.

Despite the fact that he figured he could easily take it, Damien kept his distance, standing about a dozen feet down the road from the beast. When it advanced, he retreated, and so on and so forth. He did not do it out of pity for the great beast, but more out of caution. The creature was obviously sickly, and whatever disease had enough influence to affect a beast that towered two dozen feet off the ground when standing upon it's hind legs and eight feet when not, had enough influence to affect a human being, no matter how strong said person may be.

With that thought in mind, Damien grew curious. Dracoliani were common in the small mountainous village where he had once resided with his family, but they were an exceptionally rare sight outside of the village. So to see one so far South, and with a disease he'd never seen before, led him to believe there was something going on. He had planned to observe it longer, but the creature reared it's head back and he heard the tell-tale clicking within it's throat that signalled a burst of flames was about to come, and rolled to the side.

If the creature was well enough to breath fire, it was well enough to cause a threat the small town he had come from, and that meant it had to be disposed of. Damien wouldn't normally be so taken to helping random strangers, but there was someone in that town that he held dear, and did not wish to see harmed. So, with that thought in mind, he reached his hand back and gripped the hilt of his sword.

Drawing his blade with a faint 'whoosh', he ran full pelt at the beast, running silently so as to hear the tell-tale clicking. He did hear it once or twice before he reached the beast, dodging first to the left, then to the right, and somehow managed to reach the scaled monstrosity unscathed. Swinging his blade in an almost-swirling motion, first left, then right, then right again, he succeeded in landing three deep scratches upon the creature's neck, before jumping back again until he was as far away as when he started.

The creature of course was not going to stand by and allow itself to be slain, and bellowed loudly, before charging the young warrior with it's jaws wide open. Damien took by the creature's posture that it was not going to breath fire, and took a shot in the dark. If he was wrong, he would be burned alive, but if he was right, he would effectively 'slay the dragon'.

Running forth with a speed that matched that of the almighty beast, he held his sword directly out in front of him, gritted his teeth, and prayed to the gods his hunch would be right. When he came directly before the impact, he closed his eyes instinctively. He was not aware it had been right until he felt warm liquid spurting over his hands, and when he felt that he jumped back, his blade still jammed in the creature's throat.

Somehow, it remained upright, gargling and choking, a river of blood streaming to the earth. An old legend once said the blood of a dracolian is so poisonous it will not seep into the earth, but Damien had learned by that point that that myth was far wrong.

~~~~~

Isis Dubh was walking slowly along a forest path, her keen senses alert to all that was around her. She hadn't stolen anything in a few days, surviving upon the bounty of the forest as she did in such times, but was growing restless and bored. She already knew this forest well, and was looking to hitch a ride to another, but had not yet found any suitable people from which to hitch that ride.

She had, of course, seen quite a few warriors and adventurers passing through, which was normal. Warriors and the like did not usually promise very good sleeping conditions or much loot, so she didn't tend to go with them unless she was desperate and bored out of her mind. It was, however, getting exceptionally close to that point, when she heard the sound of a cart trundling down the road.

She ran to the nearby river, figuring anyone with any sense would head off the trail and go to there. She sat in the water, figuring it added a better effect, her hood over her eyes and her head down, whimpering softly but with an unseeable grin upon her face. She heard snickering of men, and immediately realized she'd been wrong about who she suspected it was.  Glancing up with eyes wet, not from tears but from cleverly placed river water, she saw a pair of men that looked to her to be utter brutes. They were merchants, but not the kind with any honour. The thieving kind. Behind them was a pair of horses and a cart, and she immediately decided it was the horses she wanted.

''Why, 'ello thar, petal! Y'look cold. Wouldja like to come ger warm with us?'' One of them asked, smirking. Without waiting for a response, he reached out a hand to pull up her hood. Isis did not take kindly to this, however, and having already unsheathed her dagger, swung her arm up and sliced a long and deep gash down his hand.

Grinning an evil grin and enjoying the look of horror upon his face, Isis stood and tore off her cloak and robes at the same time, showing her true nature. ''I'm afraid I can't, boys. You see, I'd love to stop and chat, but I really must be going.'' Not bothering to see if either of them had enough wits to run back and grab their horses, she ran and did an absurdly acrobatic flip over their heads, landing perfectly on the horse.

Gripping the reigns tightly, she sped off as fast as she could, not stopping even when she realized that the cart was attached to the horse and had been tipped over on it's side. It was currently being dragged along by the horse, but was slowing it down, so Isis reached a her dagger back and cut the chord connecting beast and contraption. She glanced back just long enough to see the merchants' goods scattered all over the road, and slowed her pace after a distance, laughing still.

When finally the unhealthy dracolian collapsed, Damien reluctantly stepped forward and withdrew his blade from the creature's gaping jaws. He hoped he would find a river soon so that he could wash off the blood of the obviously-sick creature, but supposed it could wait. For now, he just had to travel quickly until he was as far away from the corpse as possible. It wasn't unheard of for drcoliani to burst into flames after death, and if such a thing were to happen with hm as close as he was, it would possibly result in infection of the same disease the beast had carried.

So, sheathing his sword, the young warrior walked quickly away from the scene, heading off the little side road and back the way he'd come. Obviously, he'd taken the wrong fork; if that beast had been down there after only a short period of walking, he didn't want to think what would be lurking further down there. Besides, sickness spread fast, and there was a chance all the creatures in that direction were ill.

After some time, Damien eventually reached the main road once again, and this time took the right fork rather than the left, even if he was still unsure of where it would lead him. He walked with a light step, but quickly all the same, and figured he was covering a lot of ground. That was good. He didn't have his horse with him, so was unused to how long it would take to travel distances he would normally know.

[[And Ty has no clue what to do for Isis. = .=']]