RUNBABYRUN.

[Kaze.]

run, baby, run
don't ever look back
they'll tear us apart
if you give them the chance

The world was quiet, as if the Earth itself were immersed in thick liquid. The whispering of the wind through the trees seemed decipherable in the early morning chill. The Ruelle forest lay swaying in the far distance, looking black and skeletal as the branches clawed at the gray sky. The grasses stretched over the rolling hills, and in the congealing fog, it seemed as though the sea of golden stalks were dancing and laughing in the twisting zephyrs. The land was an orchestra of sounds, pitching and rising like the swells of a great ocean on the cusp of a furious hurricane. For a moment, the beast imagined himself the conductor of such melodies, creating both the crooning lilt of the dove nearby and the traveling breeze in which carried the delightful carol to the waiting ears of those nearby. Of course, that was only for a moment.

Dismissing his otherwise irrelevant thought, Harlet shifted his massive bulk to one side. He was perched on a rather large slab of stone that was more than likely the remains of some unearthed structure, his tail coiled around his lean frame like a resting snake. As his stern azul gaze raked the horizon of the small clearing, he remained still, and with the tendrils of mist slowly wrapping themselves around his body, the dragon could easily have been mistaken for an ancient statue, lost and frozen in the sands of time for all eternity. Hunger pains rolled over his body in intense waves, and the sharp grumblings of his stomach seemed to echo in the confines of his ribcage. He hadn't eaten since last week, and his body was starting to take notice. It was slim pickings for Harlet, considering the fact that he ate massive amounts of meat each day to sustain his exorbitant energy level. As his eyes scoped out the area, he caught sight of two drifting figures, one large and one very, very small. Ah... A young doe and her new born fawn. The dragon sent a slitted tongue over his jaws, and instinctively began to map out a hunting strategy.

It took his intelligent mind only seconds to finish off a rather fool-proof plan, and when he was assured the prey had no chance of escaping, the statue in which was poised on the grassy hillside came to life. His great plumed wings unfolded and rose high above his head, charging down with a massive whoosh and sending the blanket of fog away from his body in thick shrouds. His muscled hind legs shoved his body upward, and in moments, he was air born. Harlet's wings churned steadily beside him as he rose swiftly, climbing into the heavens as if supported by ethereal staircase. Soon the world was lost in swathes of clouds, and the condensation clung to his scales as he sailed above the earth. After a short while in the air, his large build performed a swinging arc, wheeling in great circles as he lowered himself closer to the ground. Harlet's hawk-like eyes could now detect the bodies of the deer as they inched along, heads immersed in knee high grass.
They never saw him coming.

Gradually, his lazy turns became a persistent corkscrew, then finally transitioned to a dive bomb. His wings curled into his sides, and he became a rocket, the strong hands of gravity taking hold of his body and dragging him toward his almost certain death. The wind howled wildly in his ears, and adrenaline exploded in his veins. Harlet felt a roar rise in his throat like vomit, and his body trembled as he unhinged his maw and let the momentous sound fly from his lips.

The deers' realization of the dragon's presence came far overdue, and they were doomed before they could fully comprehend the concept. Harlet's wings unfurled, and his full body weight came snapping upon the two limbs as air gathered beneath the feathers. The world jolted into stillness, and his face twisted in pain as fiery throes sliced through the muscles of his wings. Ignoring the intense ache, he sunk his talons into the soft flesh of the mother, letting his body come crushing down onto hers. Her legs snapped with a sharp pop, as did her spine, and she crumpled to the ground in a lifeless heap.

The fawn did not receive such a painless death; he was frozen in shock just a few feet away. In seconds, Harlet sent his tail swinging around his body and toward the animal. The spikes slid into it's flesh silently, piercing the meat in the deer's torso and flinging blood across the clearing. The dragon winced as he realized the new born deer was flailing about, pinned to the lethal spines. He softly lowered the suffering creature to the ground, and the animal slid to the ground with a muted thump. It was now convulsing on the grass, it's muscles twitching violently, it's eyes open and staring into space. There was terror in those eyes, as if the Earth itself had opened up and swallowed all the happiness and security that it had once possessed. That's the way it works, isn't it? With a sad heart, Harlet laid a single crushing blow to the neck, and then all was still.

The fawn was easy to swallow, and the reptilian creature downed it quickly. He reveled in the fading warmth of the body as it passed his esophagus into his body, calming the rumbles of his stomach. Deep red liquid splattered his body, covering his maw and teeth, staining his scales with a beautiful crimson. Deciding to move his other kill, Harlet carefully picked up the inanimate body; as gingerly as he attempted to carry it, his teeth sunk deeper into the muscle, and blood trickled like erubescent rivers down his long neck. The grass remained indented where the mother once lay, soaked red with her blood. The small clearing looked as if it had hosted a massacre, burgundy staining almost each blade of grass as he made his way towards the Ruelle Forest. He himself looked like a sadistic monster fresh out of a child's nightmare. Perhaps that really was his true nature; perhaps, it was what the gods intended.

[Illya]

She raced through the fields with the feeling of pure freedom. Demi danced with her arms outstretched and her heart racing with joy. This was a feeling she never thought she'd experience this early in her life.
Qhina was right behind her, her four legs trying to keep up with an icy wind trailing behind her. Qhina vowed to protect the little one and she was going to treat her like her own new born pup that she would never have.
Why wasn't she able to breed like a normal wolf could? Well, she was a summon and only a spirit drawn to the earth by this child.
Don't trail too far little one. She called calmly to Demi as she laughed and giggled through the silky flower scented air.

Qhina didn't necessarily speak. She was heard through her mind. Anyone was able to hear her speak including spirits from above and among the earth.

"I'm not, Qhina! Don't worry! Lets find the next town! I'll race you!"

Demi shot off like a bullet and Qhina followed behind her. She was disappointed in Demi for not taking responsibility and thought she needed to have a talk with her when they found a safer place to take a rest.

[Kaze.]

Laughing. Children, laughing.
Harlet's blood splattered, aristocratic head turned towards the sound. His lips stretched over his razored teeth in a small smile, though it looked rather sadistic when he still held the unrecognizable body in his maw. He liked humans; children especially. The few in which he had met were kind to him, and he took a single step forward, toward the lilting giggle. "I'm not, Qhina! Don't worry! Lets find the next town! I'll race you!" There was no need to travel further, for the sound was fast approaching. The voice was female, and danced around him on the twisting breeze. His massive head tilted slightly to the right in an effort to grasp the voice in more clarity; currently, he was in a deep valley, framed by large hills on either side... It seemed as if the girl, as he presumed, was to come up and over the hill to his left, and, if he was lucky, would stumble upon the dragon. Despite his shy demeanor, he cherished a good friendship.

Deciding not to wait, he unfurled his wings and lifted off the grassy field with a single, mighty swoop. He alighted on the hill in which overlooked most of the valley. And, like he expected to, he laid eyes on her. Racing amid the swaying grasses, the girl leaped and twirled, her feet light and resembling springs as they pushed through the fields. Her mahogany hair blew in the wind, bouncing and jostling on her small shoulders with the momentum of her run. A creature followed behind her, her expression one of nervousness and careful watching. The wolf's anemic, snowy fur rustled in the winds as she tagged along with the girl. The child's small face was turned towards the heavens in blissful freedom, and her laughter rang out into the field with the dancing movement of a butterfly.

Harlet stood, rather perplexed, on the hillside. It would only be a moment before they noticed his arrival, and even with his collosal frame, he was apprehensive of their reactions. Perhaps they would attack. Perhaps they would run. Perhaps they simply would not like him. Blood still coated the front torso of his body, tainting the rich sapphire of his scales with a deep red not unlike that of melted ruby. He looked repulsive; disgusting, as if hell itself opened up and vomited the creature from it's fiery bowls. At least, that was what he imagined himself as.

[Illya]

Demi sprinted into a hard run, her little white dress flowing wildly behind her. Qhina focused on her and only her and even though Demi had challenged her to a racing game she didn't want to pass her, worried that Demi would go missing if she didn't keep an eye out for her. So, Qhina trailed behind her, light on her paws.

Demi giggled excitedly, racing and rolling down hills, tumbling over the daisies and sunflower weeds. Her cinnamon hair became covered in leaves and dirt. She landed on her bottom, her legs outstretched and hands laid out in front of her. She gasped with a curious expression on her porcelain face.

Qhina yelped as she skidded to a stop. In front of them appeared a large foreign creature. No one had seen dragons around here before. Especially in the middle of an open field. Demi had no knowledge of creatures from the desert and not many people had believed in them. For one to travel this far from its home land was unusual and not all dragons were harmless.
Qhina was curious but protective of Demi. She moved her snow white body in front of the child, snarling at the exceptionally large creature. Qhina knew that she would never be able to protect Demi if ever this monster were to attack but her instincts reacted in a motherly manner.

[Kaze.]

He hated it. He hated the horrified gasp, the shocked look that settled upon her youthful face. He hated how her pet, as he assumed the wolf was, positioned her body as if to protect the girl from Harlet. He hated how they became defensive, as if preparing for a massacre. As he looked into their faces with more intensity, he could pick up traces of curiosity from their appalled expressions. His neck lowered and he set the body in the quivering grasses, and silently repositioned himself in a fluid bow.

My apologies for giving you such a fright, milady. I mean you and your friend no harm. His voice was delicate as it entered into their mind, a mixture of bane civility and suaveness. He had already known that with his vocal cords selective to his species, he could not form words or sounds that could come close to any language spoken on this Earth. Rather, he used a telepathic method of speaking, as almost all talking creatures did in this world. You could rarely find an animal capable of making such words, and when you did, it was not recognizable, much less fluent. He arose from his mannerly bow, his eyes sitting like sparkling agate marbles on the planes of his face, gazing down upon the two with a strong beneficence. The wolf snarled at him with a ferocity that matched a hurricane, and amused, he cocked a brow at her bared fangs.

[OOC: Harlet doesn't even have an eyebrow.. xDDD Lol.]

[Illya]

Demi wasn't scared or upset, she was more curious. She had never layed her eyes on such a beast before. It was almost unreal to her. She didn't know how to react. Demi was the type of young lady who put her trust in strangers. She was usually dull headed and oblivious.

Qhina always felt she wasn't acting her age. Demi didn't understand that there were dangers out there in the world and Demi felt that she could become friends with whoever she wanted to become friends with. So Qhina's main goal was to create a more mature young lady out of the young lady she is now.

Qhina growled, her body tense.

My apologies for giving such a fright.

The dragon spoke telepathically. Qhina relaxed a bit. She didn't feel any uncomfortable vibe from the dragon and her instincts were usually quite right. Yet she had to be sure.

So you are a friend? Qhina spoke telepathically as well. She still stood her ground. Demi continued to gaze up at the majestic dragon. She felt a connection toward it, to creatures in general. Prove to us your not here to eat us. Qhina demanded.

[Kaze.]

Oh, how interesting these creatures were.

Prove to us that you aren't here to eat us. Utterly complex was the word in which Harlet would use to describe the pair. Harlet himself was immensely intrigued. Even with his purely truthful words, their minds still withheld the compacity and decency to remain apprehensive. Fascinating! Until now, the dragon had viewed typical mammals as vastly unintelligent beings who blundered about and could barely survive past one hundred. Evolution was surely against their kind.

Realizing he had been distracted from the current conversation, he redirected his attention. A deep chuckle shook his frame as the sound rose from his broad sapphire chest. Not to seem... Foreboding in any way, but if I meant to inflict harm upon you, I'm sure you would already be slain. I would not have paused. His voice was tainted with humor, though held a dangerous warning within the text. He spared a glance at the gruesome body of the deer.

On a more cheered note, he gave a small smirk. My name is Harlet. He gave a small nod to the human, lending her his jeweled eyes for an instant before returning to the wolf. She seemed to be the dominant being in their camaraderie. You seemed to have interrupted my hunting, though I will be willing to forgive you in return for your callings. He had known previously that the dragon's nature is typically one of sly deception, and he attempted to warm his tone a bit more as he spoke.

[Illya]

Qhina's neck rose to its highest extant. She was curious; bewildered in another sense. She bowed her head in apology
Are you human as well my friend? She asked with a more relaxed tone. A beast like yourself should not be roaming upon open areas like this. What brings you to these hushed plains?

Demi exchanged a quick glance with the wise beast. She suppressed the urge to approach it and felt Qhina's body tighten. Even though her voice was serene, her body was tense. The situation was eccentric in every way possible.

Demi was patient and obeyed Qhina to make things easier on her.