The Hunt (OPEN)

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The plan was working perfectly so far... no sooner had Trega blasted the big surly wolves in their path, did Shimmer and Tala take off speeding like a furry bullet train, shooting straight through the circle of wolves they ran out into the field of shattered flowers following the trail the seven wolves had used to get here. Their path of destruction was easy enough to follow, the heady scent of freshly dug earth and crushed flowers was like a trail of black paint, it blocked out all else in the field. "Only distract them... okay?" Tala said to Shimmer, repeating Trega's wise words. She had sensed Shimmers mind wandering, the heady scent of the earth was one of her favorites and she was so easily distracted by the thought of play that sometimes Tala had trouble getting her to focus. Right now it was Tala who needed to focus more on what she was doing, rather than worrying about her dog who had all the instincts she needed to focus on running away as fast as she could. Distract them... She repeated thinking it through a little more rather than just obeying like a good little girl. She had fully intended on getting as far away as possible and then circling back around, leading the other wolves away and confusing them would only work for so long, they're master wasn't entirely stupid. Eventually he'd order them to focus their attacks on Trega, a fact Tala just couldn't live with.

Whirling about far sooner than she had intended, Tala redirected herself, charging back straight towards the pack of over-sized wolves now heading in her direction. It was a stupidly brazen move that would surely endanger her life but she intended to run straight through the middle of their group splitting them up either side. Divide and conquer or so to speak. Shimmer seemed to understand this plan better than she had Trega's but she didn't like it, it left them too exposed, too vulnerable. Following her mistress though, Shim too spun around and took the right flank, separating herself from Tala's side at the last moment she dove sideways to cut the fleeing wolves off and direct them back towards Trega's half. Just like herding sheep. Tala was pleased it had worked momentarily... the wolves were confused, no longer sure which dog to follow or which wolf to hunt or even where the dragon was they wished to avoid in case it spouted more of that wickedly hot flame.

Then as suddenly as it had started they all stopped, frozen in place for an insurmountable space of time, the white wolf with its sickening rider began laughing. The pack fell silent no longer whimpering or howling their frustrations, they'd suddenly become calm, relaxed almost. Shimmer was confused now, she couldn't see Tala, the chocolate brown wolf was no longer running around in the space she had been. Glancing left and right, sniffing the air cautiously for the scent of blood, Shimmer began panicking. A quiet whimpering yelp silenced her, she knew that sound was never a good one, it at least told her one thing though... Tala was still alive. Suddenly the white wolf carved a path through the horde of his brothers and sisters, carrying a small writhing bundle tightly in its bloody jaws. Its rider scrambled after it, the evil man held a wicked snarling gaze locked on Tala, locked on the furry bundle in the white wolf's pristine jaws. He held his arm shoulder high, it gushed blood and he had trouble holding it to his body, Tala had sped straight up the middle of the wolf pack to the leader, ripping off his shoulder as she'd brutally dismounted him. It had served as an adequate distraction, they no longer sought to fight the dragon for the moment, instead they hoped to have a little fun with Tala first.

Ignoring his audience, the man bluntly ordered his wolf to drop the femme, now covered in scarlet rivers of her own blood. Ever so gently the white wolf placed Tala on the ground, still squirming and doing herself more damage in the massive vice-like maw, she landed softly on a bed of flattened pink and red flowers. "Change back you useless half-breed..."[/i] he ordered Tala, certain she would comply in the face of all the snarling wolves now surrounding her. Their master still standing on the ground though and now they were all visibly distracted by the capture of Tala, they'd turned their backs on the real threat, the sparkling ruby red dragon that stood just behind them and barely a few feet away. Shimmer wasn't waiting for orders though, her only allegiance was to Tala and her friend was in trouble. Lunging forwards, diving and rolling around the snapping jaws and stomping paws, Shimmer charged at the hunter's face, leaping back to stand snarling over her master. Her fur stood on end, black and gray spikes of fur that made her look as fierce as any dragon, in the face of maddening death she barked keeping them back for as much time as Tala needed to get herself out of there. Tala wasn't moving much though, too damaged by the razor sharp fangs of the hunters white wolf, she lay in a pool of her own blood now beginning to gather on the plants beneath her.
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"YEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAARG!" From out of a tall patch of flowers a human leapt through the air, landing on the back of one of the wolves as they were distracted. Latching onto its ears he dug his knees into the wolf's side, pulling on the ears like they were a pair of reins on a horse. "YEE HAW! Its just like riding the bulls back at the Abby when I was a kid!" The man yelled, the wolf suddenly taking off at a run. He twisted the wolf's head to the side causing it to crash into the lead wolf. Landing on his feet, he would draw the claymore strapped to his back, whirling it around in a circle to keep the wolves at bay. He looked different than when Tala saw him in Trega's memory, now wearing a pair of well-worn jeans and a leather vest, and his face no longer that strong looking calm, but full of both excitement and fury in one.

Taking her opportunity like Shimmer, Trega reached forwards and raked her powerful and deadly claws down the back of one of the wolves. Hooking her claw in it's hind quarters, she reached out with her other claw and pulled the wolf to her. Quickly pouncing on it the Dragon violently stomped on the wolf's head and neck, ripping with her claws into the unprotected back. Snapping her tail around she caught another with the flat side of her tail. Fighting her way towards her partner and Tala, Trega roared and swiped at a passing wolf but missed. The thick smell of blood overpowering her nose, creating a strange rumbling anger that echoed across everyone mind like an angry storm. She was becoming crazed in the rush of battle, and that Hunter was in her way!.

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Shimmer was confused, in a whipping snarling defensive attack she lashed out at Dirk as his twirling sword came closer to her than she'd like, fearful of her master's condition and panicked beyond all previous recollection, it was only when Tala snapped gently at her raised hackles with a stern warning growl that made Shim realize this newcomer was on their side. Tala was having trouble breathing properly but she lifted herself up off the ground, panting heavily with the effort, she wobbled slightly before moving forwards. Shimmer was so close now that Tala was leaning against her for support, snarling in unison at the hunter, a muted pair of brilliant amber and of leafy emerald eyes blazing intently into his beady black holes of fury. He didn't intend on giving up without a fight but as the white wolf stood off to one side wailing its misery, he turned ever so slightly to gaze at its injuries, cursing as the freshly created jagged gash across the right side of his face seared with a new found pain. All the other wolves had been morbidly petrified by the sudden emergence of Dirk and the savagery of his dragon, not to mention the persistent dog and wolf their new owner so desired to have as his own. Taking it in turns they each turned tail and fled leaving only the dismounted hunter and his dismayed white wolf behind.

Though this wolf was larger than the others, easily the size of a full-grown grizzly bear, he didn't like being so outnumbered and without the rest of his pack. Howling for them to return did little, they were already half-way across the flowering wilderness, heading back to the part of the forest in which they'd come. "I'll return for you..... half-breed. You'll be my slave yet, just wait and see."[/i] the man growled his gravelly voice full of intent and malice as he clambered roughly atop the white wolf and rode quickly away, carefully keeping his eye on the speedy brown wolf he was leaving behind and her new protectors. Tala turned her head back towards Tala and fallen wolf, wondering with great concern if it would still be alright, despite all her worrying it was clearly too late, the animal was dead. Crushed into the black oblivion by Trega's massive weight upon its head and neck, its spine had snapped, the claw marks cutting deep into its back would have given the animal little chance to defend itself, they cut through its spine and hind-quarters effectively making it useless in the eyes of the hunter. She supposed in the end it was probably a better death than what the hunter would have in store for it having come all this way only to fail at his mission. She hated to think of what he'd do to the other surviving pack members as they were, that hunter wasn't a particularly friendly one nor was he kind and gentle.

Still breathing heavily with the effort of drawing air through her damaged lungs, damaged in the sharp jaws of that monstrous white wolf, she had no option but to change back into her human form to survey the damage without masses of fur in her way. She remembered what Trega had said before about Dirk becoming strange in the presence of women and tried briefly to think of way around changing back, he seemed different now though perhaps he wouldn't over react or act foolish, if he did she didn't know what else she could do. "Sorry Trega...." She muttered quietly across their link, not sure exactly how much of her thoughts were shared with Dirk, she hoped he wouldn't take offense. With a slight shiver and a shake, as though she were cold and merely shaking a few droplets of water of her back, Tala transformed into her human visage. Her long hazelnut brown hair shimmered in the bright sunlight with streaks of her own blood as her emerald green eyes fixated upon the rest of her body, her long slender arms wrapped cautiously over her stomach as she surveyed the damage her sleek facial features angled in towards the source of her pain. She held several holes dotted up her ribcage together with one hand as they bled profusely over the simple elegant garment she usually wore, the pressed white shirt was already irreversibly stained scarlet by the blood now soaking into her clothes.

She needed to stop the bleeding, already she was becoming dizzy with the loss of blood and the fact that she looked like a piece of swiss cheese wasn't helping to ease that numb tension now enveloping her mind, it forced Trega's warming presence away with a shroud of clouded thoughts and confusion, struggling to stay awake in a darkening world, Tala's last act of defiance was to try and shift back into her wolf form. If nothing else it would save her some dignity, she had no idea where the nearest hospital was or if anyone could get her close enough to save her life, she'd never expected to be found out here much less attacked by anyone. No sooner had she passed out on the grass, did shimmer leave. Tearing up the field of flowers like they were nothing more than confetti with nothing but a small growl in the direction of the others, she'd run as fast and as far as she had to for help, Shimmer always had Tala's best interests at heart. Tala awoke again within seconds, her heartbeat faltering with every new wave of lost blood, it needed to heal her body quickly but with such a disrupted flow of blood she'd die soon if the bleeding didn't stop. Lifting herself up on one elbow she groaned softly with the effort, Tala didn't like being unable to fend for herself, she'd always taken pride in being able to look after herself, if nothing else this was going to be degrading but necessary. "Can you help me... please?.... I need to stop the bleeding. Shimmer has gone for help if she can find any..." promptly lying back down before she did herself anymore injury Tala glanced up at Trega, such a wonderful thing to have seen... a dragon. Even if she was small, Tala knew it was a once in a lifetime opportunity, she just wished it didn't have to be the end of this lifetime and if she could help it... it wouldn't be.
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Dirk was to busy chasing after the fleeing pack to catch what passed between Trega and the wolf. Shouting strange vulgar phrases and taunts after them and shaking his fist as well, looking very comical despite the seriousness of the situation. "Ach, go back to the hole you crawled out ya pot bellied coward for a meat bag! Ya couldn't hit me if I painted a target on me ass and stuck it in your face. Come back when ya can play with even sides you…” He seemed to run out of words, as the Hunter and his wolf were nothing more than a blot on the horizon, it was pretty useless to shout taunts and such, but not for Dirk as he cupped his hands around his mouth, “DUMB APE!” Dirk yelled with a shrug afterwards. Turning around the man jumped as now there was a rather pretty woman laying in the exact spot the wolf was. Dirk had to rub his eyes to make sure he was not seeing things due to some forgotten whack on the head during the scrap. Looking at Trega as the instant transfer of information happened, Dirk would know mostly everything about Tala that Trega knew, except for the violent memories of what lay locked away in Tala.

Trega would watch as Shimmer took off at full speed, sensing the great urgency for her Master’s health reminded Trega much of herself. She would do the exact same thing if it were Dirk who was injured, for he was the closest thing to family she ever knew, and she will go to extraordinary lengths to protect him. These brought up strange feelings in Trega, feelings that she couldn’t help herself but to gently float in them. Returning her eyes to Tala, the dragon would loom over the wounded woman, her golden orb like eyes glazed over, looking hypnotizing as she gazed deep into Tala’s. Her vast mind easily slipping back into Tala’s own, pushing away the confusion and fog, sending waves of soothing mother like feelings to her. ’Shh little one, no harm shall befall you when I still breathe, relax and all shall be well” Trega’s voice was not her own; but a more gentler, kinder voice. It was a memory of Trega’s mother as a small dragon, it was dark, but warm and safe, with the slow easy rumble of another larger dragon echoing all around her.

The memory was a rather emotional one for the Dragon, as she never shared that same moment with her own mother, as she died nearly a year before Trega had hatched. So emotional that a strange power began to swell within Trega. Her eyes misting over with a white haze The Dragon leaned closer, touching her snout lightly against Tala’s wounds, a white glow surrounded the two. ’Dnuow laes Maerts-Efil Erotser’[/b] Trega echoed almost robot like. The light faded from their bodies except for Tala’s wounds, the blood ceased to flow from them, and now they began to heal at an extraordinary rate, what would have take days, even months, all happened within a matter of minutes. However Tala was not free and clear, the pain and stiffness caused by such wounds would take a day or two to overcome, but at least the wolf-lady would not die.[/color]

’I must admit, I did not expect that’ Dirk said out loud.
’Nor do I when I use magic… it just happens.’

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Tala sat up on her elbows, confused and bewildered, she had no idea what had just happened or even if it was good or bad. She had never heard much about magic before, let alone those who cast it, she was frightened out of her skin to finally know magic was real at least in some sense. The very thought of magic sent prickling waves of anxiety rushing all over her body, she was fighting the overwhelming urge to run away, to run and never look back. What was she doing here, she should have run the minute the ruby red dragon had landed, Trega seemed so huge from such a grounded angle. Her clothes were torn to shreds, where that ghastly brute had clamped his filthy, drool covered jaws down on her body but she was no longer injured or suffering both the bleeding and her pain had ceased to become a problem and for that she was eternally grateful.

Shimmer ran flat out, faster than she'd ever run before, Tala had taught her to keep up. Even without super human or super dog speed she'd always managed to stay within eyeshot of Tala, Tala was like her mother, her sister and her packmate all rolled into one. Tala was irreplaceable in her heart and in her life, shim couldn't just leave her to die, or to die alone. Whirling about she bolted as fast as she'd come back to Tala and her masters side. It was where she belonged and Shimmer was more than happy to see her master had fully recovered, she hadn't known Tala could heal wounds that bad so quickly, she'd seen her master heal many different wounds before but none that severe. It was only as she drew closer that Tala glanced in her direction, the look shared between the two in that moment of pure panic was enough to tell her everything, Shim's hackles raised, the fur around her neck and around her tail bristling with ferocity as she snarled a long jagged growl of fear and protective fury.

It was only as Tala spoke that Shimmer's growl and dominant stance faltered for a moment. "W-what was that?..." Tala asked nervously, unaware that magic was an unusual occurrence for Trega. She was even more enraptured by Dirk's gravelly voice, a strange mixture of boy and man it spoke volumes about his personality and who he was as a human being. She wondered how he had survived his life so far, what with masquerading as the long extinct breed of gentleman that he still appeared to be. Shimmer had all but forgotten the look of fear in her mistress's eyes now curling up beside her for some warmth whilst still keeping a careful eye on both the red dragon and the strange new male who seemed connected to it. Tala didn't know what to make of either of them, still in shock at being attacked in the first place she had been caught completely unawares by the magic used to save her life.

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((Omg! Yay some Trega play!))

Dirk couldn’t stop himself from chuckling at Tala’s bewilderment at Trega’s sudden use of magic, she wasn’t the only one to be surprised by it, Dirk had seen his fair share of surprised looks from all types of people. To Dirk, magic was an everyday occurrence, be it one form or the other, good or evil, weak and strong, for Dirk came from the old country, where magic still thrived and things like cars and guns were a thing of rarity. Of course he had seen a car, and fired a gun before coming to this land, it was not the fact that they existed, but at how common those items were that surprised Dirk in the very same way Tala was now, wondering how such serious wounds could be healed so quickly by… a dragon of all things. “That-.” Dirk said proudly, reaching out and patting Trega’s slender neck. “That, was the power of a Dragon using magic. Everyone thinks its all about their size and fire breathing and the flying being a Dragon’s power, but they’re wrong, it comes from the awesome things they can do with magic”

Trega sat back on her hind legs and watched as Shimmer returned to her master, a small sense of pride welled up inside of Trega, that spilled forth onto Dirk through their intimate connection. Though she was slightly taken back when Shimmer began to growl to the point she even bared her fangs at the Dragon. Blinking a few times Trega lowered her head and looked at the dog very sternly, as if telling her to “Be silent or I’ll show you how to really growl”. Yet the Dragon didn’t voice her thoughts, or growl back as she normally would have done under more normal circumstances, she remained silent as Dirk explained a Dragons “power” to the girl, laughing mentally to herself for Dirk couldn’t have embellished it more. Gently touching Tala’s mind with her own, Trega’s voice would be the only thing to surface in Tala’s mind, there would be no flood of images or smells or emotions, just her powerful ancient sounding voice. ”Do not listen to this glorified stone brain. Magic in a Dragon is the rarest thing to behold besides laying eyes on our eggs. I do not have control over what I just did, it just happened, if I frightened you I apoligize”

“Really? That’s twice in one day Trega? Are you feeling okay?” Dirk asked with a shocked voice, but it was evident on his face that he was being sarcastic.
”An even rarer thing to see from me yes, so do not bring it up again or I will light your foot on fire.” Trega replied, a mischievous chuckle in her voice. But she quickly dropped the issue to ask Tala a question, ”Who was that man? If only I had gotten a hold of him, I could of broke his mind in two and forced him to quit hunting for you.”

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Tala's gaze swept over to the tree line a moment as Trega mentioned the man that haunted her very existence, she was unaccustomed to speaking of her past with others and so she wasn't exactly sure where to begin. Sitting up straighter, she shifted into her wolf form once again when she was sure Dirk wasn't looking and yipped a fierce order at Shimmer. Shim's ears flattened against her head in fear and she shrunk away from Tala's side, she hadn't known it was the dragons power to heal as well, let alone the fact that she had healed Tala. She had only known that Tala was fearful of the two newcomers and that warranted some kind of defensive response. Being told otherwise made her sheepish and bashful, she hadn't meant to offend the dragon or Tala with her inconsiderate actions, they were made only with love for her mistress. Tala quickly re-focused on Trega, still in her wolf form and feeling much more comfortable in her furry skin, she knew she couldn’t tell the whole story, it was too long ago. She could only tell Trega what she remembered and that unfortunately, involved everything else. With a nervous sigh, Tala decided to start with the beginning, wary of just how much Trega could read of her muddled thoughts, she began slowly.

”I don’t know his name, not exactly. I call him the hunter, for that is what he has always been to me. He has been chasing me ever since I was small, he is responsible for killing my mother and my father and now he wants me as well, he used to have others to give chase, many others but now there seems to be only him left.”

Tala said quietly, her words echoing a great despair across all the entire ocean of thoughts now cascading from her mind, images of guns firing, the other men and the great fear she felt at being chased when she was so small. She couldn’t even remember what her parents had looked like now, at least not their human faces, she still remembered well the color of their fur and the smell left behind in their many footprints. She had once heard that smell was always the last thing to go, so she valued everything that left behind a scent for her to follow. She remembered what the hunter smelt like, she remembered well the first night she'd met him and relayed that horrible scene to Trega, no longer worried by the fact that the dragon could wield such mysterious powers, she let the full extent of her emotions and the scene unfolding in her head to transfer to Trega's consciousness. The baby girls howling screams filled the night air and choked her lungs with an icy atmosphere, it was cold. Freezing cold. She ran and ran but couldn't get away fast enough, they were catching her, poking her with sharp sticks and beating her senseless, still the tiny wolf howled with fearful misery and bitter confusion. She cried out for her father now lying dead on the edge of the deep dark forest she called home, she couldn't reach him, he was behind a wall of vicious human hunters. She hadn't been taught yet how to escape this kind of threat, she knew how to avoid the boars tusks when they charged at her for eating their young and she knew how to flee from the big black bears when they came lumbering along to squish her in their big meaty paws but these humans were smarter than that. They sneered at her, firing weapons at her of all kinds, bullets whizzed past her head.

The ground burned beneath her paws as she ran as fast she possibly could, it was only with an outstanding amount of pain pressing down on her spine that she finally stopped. The largest of the hunter’s men had caught up with Tala, leaping on top of the small wolf until he'd collided with her body the impact damaging the muscles around her spine and bruising the vertebrae, twisting them almost out of proportion under the stressful weight. Tala screamed in agony unable to shift to her human form, she was terribly confused were they hunting wolves? why couldn't she change and explain to them that she was human? Not that any of it would matter, these people knew exactly what she was, they're jeering caught Tala off guard as they teased her and continued to jab her with sharp things, her body was already riddled with gashes, cuts and bullet holes. She cried again, more a howl of agony than a cry for help, she’d long since given up hope of her sickly mother making an appearance to save her life. The heavy scent of pine needles and earth filled her nostrils, mostly because she was already face first to the forest floor as the brutal attack continued, they wanted to incapacitate her, she held so much speed already if she was able to think even for a second amongst the adrenaline fueled panic attack she might just actually slip away. Her cries too were cause for concern, the men wanted to silence the noisy lycan pup, as there was no telling who else might be lurking nearby to rescue her. Then all of a sudden a vicious roar spread across the large expanse of forest, deafening the hunter and his men and forcing them all to shield their ears. Tala knew that sound all too well, it was the sound of a monster. The monster lived in this forest and plagued the humans and their children, she often overheard the adults as they warned the younger ones at night, telling them of a ferocious beast that ate human flesh and spared no one. The monster clawed open carriages and bit the heads off all the noble horses who entered her wonderful forest, Tala had always been careful when she entered the monster’s realm but her mother always gave her a sly smile and said that it was a silly story fed to the villager’s children so that they would go to bed and not play in the forest after nightfall.

Now Tala was overjoyed that such a story could be true, if the beast truly did exist, she would be saved from these horrible men and she could go home to her mother and never leave her bedside again, she could forget this whole horrible mess and live her life in peace. She hadn’t bothered to take the time to ask herself anything else, what if the monster ate wolf flesh too? Would she eat the baby wolf so clearly in distress, or would she do as Tala thought and actually save it? Only time would tell. Tala could hear it coming and she could tell by the men’s stances that they had too, they readied their weapons and redirected their hatred, the one pinning Tala to the soft muddy ground didn’t get up though, he kept a watchful eye on Tala as though her cries had caused all this trouble in the first place. As the beast drew nearer she shattered the hundred year old forest trees barring her way, surely it would be quicker to just run, maybe she was. Tala had no idea how big she truly was she’d only ever smelt the werewolf’s trail and stayed away. Tonight though she was begging it knew her scent, if not by name. The man atop her nudged her harshly as she whimpered, the thumping footfalls were growing louder and louder, the ground vibrating with growing intensity as the beast finally broke cover and busted through the maze of forest pines. With an almighty roar the beast landed with a sickening thud, striking the first three of the seven hunters, she quickly lunged for two others off to one side, a wet crunching noise was the only sound as Tala quickly covered her eyes. She didn’t want to see the devastation the monster was causing. She only wanted a chance to escape. Guns started firing loudly and finally the crushing weight of the man above her lifted and Tala too petrified to move whimpered on the ground frozen with fear as the beast came to stand protectively over her…. Almost like her mother. Her mother! ”Tala baby… you need to run…. RUN!”[/I] The beast said quietly, almost screaming the last word as she made an effort to nudge the frightened little wolf pup along with her nose and out of harms way, whilst the hunters continued firing their weapons as fast and as furiously as they could. Tala didn’t wait for anymore instructions, she took off running at least as far as the treeline, when she suddenly felt the ground shake with a tremendous crackling sigh. Her mother had fallen, bleeding and limp as she fought off the hunters for the last time, all her life she’d been protecting Tala from them, now it seemed their family legacy was to haunt Tala for the rest of her life. Tala didn’t waste anymore time she ran as far as her tired little legs could carry her and even further still, she ran until she collapsed with exhaustion and dehydration too miserable and hurt to go on and that’s where the visions of Tala history faded. She didn’t mention anything about being a werewolf herself, she left that an open ending to her story, it was because she was unique that the hunter wanted her, alive if possible. He had never met the child of a Lycan and a Werewolf before, he assumed their was either great power or great money to be held from such a worthy prize, in truth there was neither, at least not in Tala’s eyes she just wanted to live her life as humanly as possible.

”This is my story, or part of it at least… Tala added quietly, letting Trega mull it over and make of it what she will, she didn’t mind if Trega shared this newfound knowledge with Dirk, in all honesty it would probably serve him well. However, Tala was already dreaming of the place where they had come from and she desperately wished to go there herself, maybe there she could find a peaceful place without such dangers and a life more her own where she wouldn’t have to hide away like a monster, like her parents before her had to, in order to keep her safe. She sat there still in wolf form, either too lost in her own imaginings or too afraid to turn back in case she needed to run again, she didn’t know where Dirk and Trega would go next, they would be so out of place in the city or in Tala’s apartment but they couldn’t stay here much longer the hunter already knew to find her. ”Do you have someplace to stay?” she asked unsure of whether or not the two had any place nearby she might sit and talk awhile. It was so rare to find someone unafraid of what she was, she guessed Trega must feel the same when others became so afraid of her powerful magic, for Tala though it was a magical world of coincidence and reality was just another place to hide, she wanted to know Trega’s story and Dirk’s too if he was willing to share it, in any form that they could express and she wanted to tell them more too if they weren’t already worried about her future. Shimmer didn’t mind where she was, as long as Tala was no longer angry with her and the two could be together she was the happiest house pet in the world. Her worries long since forgotten, Shim sat there much like Tala with her tongue lolling to one side in the afternoon sun, she held no grudge against Dirk or Trega she just wanted to make sure her master was safe, wherever that happened to be.
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*Lillika: Lil-lee-Kah
** Smelt of Magic: ((When I finish my book, I’ll get back to you on that smell, lol))

Trega remained silent and still, a perfect statue as she gazed intently down at the wolf-lady. Listening, watching, feeling, the tragic memory as it played out in Tala's mind, she made no link with Dirk during this time, leaving him to look blankly forth and back between the two before he went off to take a look around, though he would not be far off. Trega took note of many things from the memory, the hunter's smell, his voice, his tactics. Tala's memory was saddening to the dragon for it stirred her own memories, but it also stirred Trega's anger, and her hatred for the hunter grew rapidly. But her sadness overwhelmed that anger and smothered it like dirt over a fire, Trega’s golden eyes became misty as a single large tear ran down the side of her head and landed with a soft plop onto a flower, one of a very few that survived being trampled on during the fight. She finally moved and watched her partner off in the distance, making a large slow circle around them, stopping here and there to look at something that caught his eye.

”Dirk, he lived his entire life not knowing who his parents were. He grew up in the halls of a Mage’s Abby, he had many keepers, but he has always been alone. He does not even have a name he can proudly call himself by, it is why he has adopted a title of The Warrior.” The dragon lowered he head and let out a large sigh and a quiet whine from deep inside her chest. ”And…” Trega paused for a moment, and when she decided to continue, she did not speak but did as Tala did.

The world, and even Trega faded from Tala’s eyes, leaving only darkness, and in that darkness Tala would feel numb, as if her entire body had vanished along with everything else. Quickly as it came, did that feeling pass, and she would feel her body once more, but still strange. As the world came back into focus, she stood in a cave, a nice warm, dry cave. Her eyes suddenly able to view things with the greatest of detail, she was able to see every individual hair on the tiny field mouse that scurried by her claw like feet so far below her. Tala had been taken into the mind of Trega’s mother; Lillika* The Living Emerald for all her dark green scales glittered like a flawless emerald, and when she flew high in the sky on a sunny day she was like a green star twinkling a night. The was over and above herself with a bubbly happiness as she gazed down at eggs, 5 large jewel-like eggs; a red one, a sapphire one, a golden one, a green one, and a crimson one, and they all shone with their own light. Soon they would hatch, and they would be brought into the world as her children and her children alone, and they would be wild, free from the corrupting thoughts of man. The Riders have come several times to ask of her just one, ONE! There were far too many tales these days of Riders who turn to the path of darkness, that she wouldn’t risk her children becoming tainted. Perhaps in the old days when the Fair Ones who had more discipline than man, she would entrust one of her eggs to them, but not now, and not ever would she.

Then Lillika smelt them, heard the many clinking of plate mail, the flapping feet of their servants, but their smell, how foul and disgusting it was. Then she could see them off in the darkness of her cave, the large bulky figures, the dark gray skin, squinted eyes, ears that lay flat against their heads, and their smaller servants were very thin, with big round hears and floppy pointed ears, some ran on all fours while others carried weapons and walked on two. Abominations of the dark forces, they had come for her eggs!
Standing up, Lillika kept eggs directly under the middle of her belly and tucked her wings in tight to keep them protected. She stood high above the creatures who marched fearless towards her, well almost fearless. Opening her large mouth she let out a stream of the liquid fire, hot enough that it cooked those in armor and severely burned any others. Arrows whipped by her head, bounced off her hard scales, Lillika snatched one of the servants up from the ground and crushed it in her hand before throwing it at the others. Lowering her head down to their level, she blasted the ground with her fire, condensing it into a narrower spread, she sent the flame streaking down the tunnel and burning as many as she could. As she let up, Lillika heard the sound of machinery, but it was too late as a large arrow slammed into her side, and another into her leg. The second shot caused the dragon to stumble, and she kicked the nest of eggs and scattered them all over the cave. An unlucky servant happened to pick one up and was instantly engulfed in flames, they wanted her eggs, they would not have her eggs!

The memory fills with a blinding rage, and the last thing Tala hears is the loud scream of the dragon before she charges down the cave at her enemy. The world fades for another moment before it is rebuilt, still in the cave, but a brighter section of it as daylight streamed in from somewhere far off. Lillika’s body was in pain, she lay on her broken wing, not having moved for sometime. Watched as her eggs were taken away from her, her wounds so great that her body ceased to move when she told it to continue on, when everything was silent, she lay moaning into the darkness, she was going to die, and her children will be brought up as creatures of evil, she cried for her children, her cries echoed from her cave and caught the attention of a traveler. The face of a younger, less travel worn Dirk came into view, in shock of the sight before him, how such a proud and might creature was left to die like this, and through her blurry vision she managed to focus her eyes on the boy. There were two others the she could not see, but she could smell them, one was the soft fragrance of herbs, and the other one smelt of powerful magic**.

”Dirk, look, an egg!” Came a woman’s voice, she came into view, but her details were blurred, all except the egg she held in her hand, the bright crimson egg, that burned with a fierce angry light. It was Lillika’s favorite for it reminded her of her father, who was one of the original-founding Dragons who bonded their minds with the Fair Ones. She say the honest and good light in his eyes as he looked at the egg with wonder. Lillika found the strength to lift her head and stared at Dirk, breaking easily into the young man’s mind, she felt his fear, he knew what she had done.

”Please… I beg of you. As my dieing wish, I beg you to save my child, my last child, from the dark fate of its siblings. Protect it until the dragon inside is large enough to protect itself, please, I beg of you on my death bed young warrior.”

The young Dirk instantly nodded, knowing from one warrior to the next, the dragon died honorably defending her children. He took hold of the egg in his large hands, Lillika notice a slight change in the egg’s wondrous light, how it seemed to calm in this boy’s hands. It made Lillika happy as the life slowly faded from her body, and she closed her eyes for the last time, whispering to Dirk ”Thank you”

The memory ended, and Tala would find herself back in her own body, and Trega’s mind pulling away until it was only her voice once again in Tala’s mind. What seemed to drag on forever, in fact only happened in the matter of seconds, the real Dirk was still wandering off in the distance. Trega lifted her head up and looked at Dirk, ”That is the earliest memory of Dirk, and the last Ancestral memory of my Mother. Since I was born, we travel where the winds take us. We have no home to speak of, we sleep under the stars.”

Dirk decided it was time to return, the influx of emotions from Trega coming to a halt, and she slowly returned to her usual demeanor. He took his time to return, and when he did, Trega turned her head towards him and looked at Dirk fiercely. Dirk was nearly taken back by the sudden look, he wondered what had just gone on between the Dragon and wolf. “Er… what?” He asked out loud.

”You… and I, are going to stay with Tala until she feels it is safe to be on her own again. Understand?” Trega said with a no-nonsense tone, still connect to Tala, she would be able to still hear what Trega said to Dirk.

”Uh… okay.”