Two Peas In A Pod

"-For Jesus' sake, you're killing me here!"

Dysis had been tuning out his boss who had been arguing and complaining about things over the phone. Lawrence was the name, a slightly over weight man in his 40's. The Dhampir knew he was a good person deep down, just the fact he tended to curse like a sailor and was something on the cynical side of things.

"Fine, fine." Lawrence clicked off the cell phone and got up from his office desk. "It's like all those cock suckers were dropped on their head repeatedly on the head as a baby, I can't reason with them." He sighed. "I need a smoke, you coming?"

"Might as well." Dysis followed Lawrence to a balcony where they could see other parts of New York. The club, also known as On The Rocks was closed for the day. It wasn't anything spectacular but it was a decent club for the most part.

"You've been working pretty hard kid, why don't you take sometime off?" Lawrence lit up a ciggerate, before reaching into his pocket and pulling out a wad of money for Dysis to take. "Here, its between us but you've earned it."

"I can't take this." Dysis protested.

The club owner waved it off. "Of course you can. You just use it to take care of that lovely mother of yours and your little sister. You only get one mother, might as well take care of her."

He paused a bit, before slowly taking the money. "Thank you."

"Eh don't worry about it." He then clapped Dysis on the shoulder. "Now get oughta here, you're wasting away working all the time and you're young."

* *

It had been about two days since Dysis had taken the brief 'vacation' Lawrence had gotten him to take. Thanks to the money he had gotten they had been able to pay off something's that would have caused them trouble along the line. Since they didn't have a lot of money they tended to live in the more 'rough' area of New York. Dysis knew how dangerous it could be at times, so he tended to escort his mother and little sister around when he could.

Right now they were heading back home with a few groceries in hand, his mother was humming something while his little sister stuck to their mother like her own shadow; she was painfully shy. That and she didn't talk much which made things difficult for her.

"So are the girls at college nice?" Daniele asked Dysis. "I bet they would love you if you opened up." This type of conversation happened at least every few months, his mother always hinting she would like to see him try dating. It never usually went anywhere.

"I don't exactly have a lot of friends there. Female or otherwise. I guess I just haven't met anyone who caught my eye." Dysis said, which was partly the truth and would appease his mother somewhat.

"Still. I know they'll like you if you let someone in for once. My handsome son." She ruffled his hair a bit, which was amusing since he was hardly a kid but then that was just how his mother was.

They didn't notice at first they were being followed by some strange people, that was until they revealed themselves that is. Once they were a bit closer to home but a bit more secluded area some men appeared to block their path. They seemed heavily armed, though not with guns but melee weapons and other strange items.

One of them stepped forward. "Just step away from those two and you won't get hurt."

Daniele looked at the men and then something clicked into place, she at least had an idea of what they were. Honestly she was a bit scared but she wasn't going to let them harm her children. "No, I'm not letting you hurt my children!"

Dysis grimaced mentally. Why now of all times? He was going have to try to buy some time for both his little sister and his mother as he didn't know how strong they were or what they could do. Regardless, neither his sister or mother could really defend themselves so it was a moot point either way.

"That's too bad then." That was the only warning he got before all hell broke loose.

The first one moved towards Dysis at a inhuman speed, drawing a blade only for Dysis to grab the sword arm and let him continue going as the opposite momentum broke his arm. He finished with kicking them in the back sending them sailing the other way. However, the distraction allowed one of them to try to attack Ameila. Instantly Daniele reacted, pushing her down to the ground and shielding her with her body. This caused her to get a nasty gash on her back, but surprisingly she didn't cry out in pain, maybe because she was trying to be brave for her daughter.

"Shouldn't have tried to get in the way." One of them said unsympathetically.

Dysis snarled, and charged forward before noticing he was moving slower then normal that and he felt weaker. They must have done something to him he didn't notice before.

This was bad.

It wasn't very often that she found herself surrounded by people but, thanks to some meddling goblin, Surai found herself stumbling around Wall Street. He'd shoved her into a portal when she refused to give him her small handful of rubies she had been tracking down to return to a fellow dragon when he'd caught sight of her in the market. It was a supernatural place where unorthodox things were sold as well as valuable trinkets. The awful thing thought he'd steal it while she wandered around but when they both went through, he slipped down into a strange drain on the side of the street and she nearly got hit by a car.
It took her a few days to get accustomed to this strange place. She'd only ever been to a grand city like this once but even then it was full of dragons in human form. As far as she could tell, they were all human. They certainly smelled human. From the heady perfume to the greasy sweat, they were all one hundred percent human. The only place she found that she could stand was Central Park. It was the little bit of green for miles. Unfortunately it didn't have any prey. She could only live off of mice for so long. The dragon found that this place wasn't very hospitable either. The few people she'd spoken to either brushed her off or wanted her to do unseemly things. Typical humans. But with each passing day she became hungrier. The only way she could cope was returning to her dragon form. The park was a good place to do this until she heard news of sightings of some strange creature so she had to move on. It wasn't until she discovered the harbor that she began using her dragon form again, at night, and went fishing by the light of the moon. Somehow, she survived on such little nourishment.
It was another one of those nights when she was too hungry to move much that Surai found herself atop a building. Luckily her body was small enough to curl up and watch the people walk around below, her body blending into the night perfectly, until she heard a commotion nearby. Walking to the other corner, she peered over the side curiously. The scent of blood assaulted her nose and her stomach growled, she didn't realize her own guttural voice joined it softly. The creatures below were moving quickly and if it wasn't for the fact that she was mythical too, she wouldn't have been able to keep up. Human or other supernatural affairs didn't concern her but she didn't like seeing the woman and child cower as the lone male protected them. She eyed the remaining assailants and with the indifference of a cat playing with it's prey, she inhaled before spitting out a blue-white bullet. The man that had cut the woman disappeared in the flame. It was a small enough shot that she had a few more left in her and randomly shot at another would-be attacker. There were a couple left but she didn't feel like wasting anymore strength. Surai roused herself from her perch and slid down the side of the building like a cat into the alleyway below. Emerging slowly as she growled and faced the opponents. She crouched, curving her body toward the woman and child protectively, so close they could touch her tail if they wanted. She lifted her head up and back, appearing to be bigger while growling, then delivering an angry hiss to scare them off. Glancing at the male, she was wondering if he could even stand on his own two feet, her eyes catching sight of him moving awkwardly as though he was about to stumble.

The hunters weren't quite what the hell exactly happened. One moment they seemed to be close to getting what they wanted, killing to Dhampir's and getting a blood-sucker sympathizer out the way. It had been a good day, everything was going great with no Nobus or any one else to interrupt their work and that was likely why Murphy's Law--or Karma kicked in.

One of the first instances of knowing something was wrong was a flash of fire and having one of the hunters being reduced to black ash. This was a shock to all of them present, that was when it clicked in and they actually saw what had attacked them. Standing not that far from them was a rather large black dragon and from the look of it, female.

This didn't matter to the hunters, though. They had came to hunt some Dhampir's and maybe some low level demons. They hadn't expected to fight a dragon, and weren't equipped to deal with one. That was why they soon all turned and ran as fast as they could, scattering as they did. That way if the dragon chased, at least some might get away.

Cowards.. Dysis hissed mentally, not sure what to make of the dragon. His mother was down and still hurt and his sister was nearby her. He wasn't sure if they were a threat, but if they saved him and his family so he had to be grateful for that. Most dragons were sentient, there were some feral or animal-like ones but they usually didn't get anywhere near the city.

"..Who are you..?" He asked a bit wearily, trying to keep himself steady, even as he put himself in a better position to protect his family. Damned hunters and their tricks.

Watching them turn tail and run startled her and she blinked, shrinking down to her usual size; sleek and long but hugging the ground like a felines'. Her head tilted this way and that as she watched them, one by one, disappear into the dark. Once she was certain the men weren't going to come back, she turned and stared at the females with the largest eyes; the pupils expanding and the dim light shining on them. She looked absolutely huggable. "Rrrrrrrrrrr." she crooned gently, sniffing lightly at them to make sure that neither were near death beside the bleeding woman but with care she would be alright. When the male came close to them she stared at him with the same curious eyes. She tilted her head far to the left as though asking the same thing.

It seemed like she wasn't wanted here.

The dragon wiggled her nose and snorted softly, her eyes becoming less lovable and more snakelike now as they contracted to vertical slits. She blinked once then turned and disappeared into the shadows, climbing back up to the top of the building sitting at the far end; listening in case they tried to follow. But she knew the emotion too well, protecting one's own. If the man knew better he would take his women and go and forget about her. She couldn't be certain but she thought they smelled peculiar. Strange beings, like herself, that didn't seem to belong to this human filled world. Either way it didn't matter, every gut feeling she had was spot on and she knew he wouldn't follow; his family was too precious for simple curiosity. When she thought she was safe she slowly transformed into her human body, grabbing the clothing she'd set out and getting dressed quickly before huddling into the corner of the roof; protected from falling off by the ledge. She was sleeping soundly but every part of her dragon instinct was still on alert for predators. Or her new enemy; Hunter.

Dysis found the dragon a bit strange. It hadn't acted completely feral, though he doubted it was sentient or was it just an animal? But that didn't matter anymore, since it had vanished elsewhere. He went to check on his mother closer, she wasn't in the best of shape but it wasn't nearly as bad as it could have been. His little sister Ameila was clutching close to her but he gently moved her a bit out the way so he could move his mother comfortably.

That was when Nobus finally showed up. A couple of men and women all dressed differently but having the badge to let everyone know who they really were.

"My mother she got hurt by hunters.." Dysis trailed off.

"Don't worry about it kid. Secure around the area, make sure they aren't around and track them down." The one in charge ordered, making a few nod, and then dashing off with speed that was clearly inhuman, even Dysis had a hard time catching it.

Out the three that were left out of the six, a young woman came over to check on Daniel, pulling out some bandages and some strange green orbs. They put the orbs on the woman's gashed back and they seem to 'melt' spreading over them and then vanishing. Once that was done, the gash was nothing more then a shallow cut.

"She'll be fine. But she needs to be checked out in case she got infected with anything. Healing gels only go so far." The leader said and Dysis just nodded, feeling tired.

* *

The young dragon would notice something very odd once she relaxed before she went to sleep and paid a bit more attention to her surroundings.

The scents. There were many non-human scents around; even a few dragons here and there. They weren't hiding, they were clearly out in the open for everyone to see. One would think they would be hiding among them or keeping to their own but that was far from the case.

Throughout the night she kept sneezing, her dragon nose picking up the scents of the squads around the building. If she wasn't in her human form and the fact that her clothing had too many muddled smells from the humans she'd passed, she probably would've been found by now. When she awoke it was nice and hot on the roof, perfect time to sunbathe. She started to let her scales form over her skin when she caught the smell of another one of Them. A being like herself, a non-human. The woman decided to skip the sunbath and climbed down the fire escape. As soon as she got to the road she noticed them wandering around in greater number than she'd thought.

Pretending to be a resident of the area, she hurried and walked deeper into the run down district. She pulled the hood of her hoodie down further even though it was warm. Hoping that she just looked like a shady person, Surai ducked into an apartment building, hoping to wait them out for awhile. The usual delinquents and junkies weren't littering the steps and the place itself actually smelled free of any illegal activity. It was nice. She supposed there were small communities or buildings of people who just wanted to live the best they could without getting into any trouble. She hid under the first stairwell and curled up under it, her back rubbing against the pointed shapes of the stairs; trying to make herself as small as she could. If anyone walked, god forbid stomped, down she would pay for it with a sore back. But all she wanted was so that no one would find her and do her harm. Surai suddenly started falling asleep again as she waited and found the tiny dank space more comfortable. Her tail suddenly extended from her spine, wrapping around her and under her cheek like a pillow. The tapered end stuck out and would look like a cat's tail at first glance.

The night had passed without much incident. Daniel had been patched up and looked over, the doctors telling Dysis that she would be fine but weak for a short bit. In the mean time she was going have to take it easy and not move around too much. That suited Dysis just fine. He had come close to losing one of the few family he had left.

He couldn't remember the last time he had been that terrified. And the sheer relief that had come from finding out nothing vital on his mother had been hit.

At the present, his mother was sleeping with his little sister but he still had stuff to take care. He was reluctant to leave them alone.

They'll be okay. I won't be gone for too long.

Assuring more to himself, he walked out the door and that's when he noticed something odd. Or rather he picked up a scent of dragon nearby. Curious more then anything, he looked around. That was when he spotted a rather attractive young woman, a dragon of some sort. They seemed to be trying to get some sleep and the tail made it obvious even to a normal human of what they were.

He didn't know why, but he couldn't ignore it. Maybe they were homeless but..something just tugged at him.

"Hey, you okay?" He asked. Maybe they would need food or something. Dysis didn't have much, but if there was one thing about him, he couldn't just completely ignore people suffering.Even if his somewhat distant first expression said otherwise.

She heard him coming down the stairs but ignored his presence, wincing slightly as she expected heavy footsteps but they were quite light and the stairs only weighed down slightly. When he came around to inspect she moved her tail back under slowly and turned her head so he'd think she was asleep. Then he spoke to her. Slowly one eye opened, then the other, and she turned to look at him carefully; eyes gleaming like orbs of the will o wisp. It was the man from last night. She regarded him for a moment, careful not to judge his character too quickly, but it seemed he was genuinely concerned.

"… Who -are- You." she repeated his question from before when they first met. Not feeling threatened, she carefully crawled out a little more from under the stairs. She tilted her head, much like a pet as she stayed seated on her side with her hands in front of her like a dog or cat. "Tired. Hungry. Far from home." she murmured, lowering her eyes a bit. "How to leave?" she asked suddenly, seizing the opportunity. The city was vast, it seemed to her, and she was completely lost. For all she knew, she'd wandered from one side to the other and never would've known how to make it out. "It is a labyrinth." she continued, digging down into her dragon-mind, remembering human speech and the language he spoke. English.

All the proper grammar and annunciation came to her at once and she sat up straighter so that she'd appeal to him more like a human than animal; she didn't need him looking down on her anymore than she deserved in her impoverished appearance. "I am not from here. I hail from another land far away. Where less people live. Where my kind struggle to survive. Do you know of this place?" she asked inquisitively, unable to help her intense stare. Her human body wasn't her preferred one but in this situation it was suitable. She couldn't control all the different muscles in her face so most of the time her expression was that of an open book.

Dysis blinked a bit. Mostly because just moments ago she had been speaking in broken English and now suddenly she seemed to be able to process things as if English was always her first language. Was it some type of dragon tongue ability? He heard of such a thing before but never had seen the ability before himself and hadn't really had any interest before then.

"This place? You're in New York." He said. "As for less people..that doesn't tell me much. This is a big world and there's a lot of places that have less populations. For dragons struggling..we'll its true there aren't as many dragons as they used to be anymore but they don't really struggle."

Where had she come from? He was wracking his brain for answers but was coming up with nothing.

"Sorry if that didn't help. My name is Dysis by the way."

The name of her location didn't ring any bells, it was as unfamiliar as the pavement she walked upon. "Ah, so this is a vast world as well." she murmured, wondering if she'd fallen into a completely different dimension and not simply a different time. But the fact that dragons no longer 'struggled' amazed her. She perked up at that, "Dragons do not live in fear of being hunted? Nor the battle for territory against humans for breeding ground and home?" she said with wonder. "What a quaint world." she murmured and tilted her head the other way a bit. "Dysis… Sunset, origin being Greek." she said thoughtfully then nodded and stood slowly; staying to the wall timidly as she did so. Her eyes took in his appearance, thinking that with the silvery color of his hair and eyes, he would be likened more to twilight.

"Surai La-" she stopped herself quickly then pretended to clear her throat. "Among my kind, in the flock, we regard those with nobility or status with an honorific title. Males are called by name, followed by a 'Ne'. Females are called by name, followed by 'La'." she told him then quieted suddenly, feeling that she spoke too much. If she had told him her real name, her Truename, he would have complete control over her. When with other dragons they could speak their names openly, however if a human or other creature knew their name, they would be forced to obey every command. To become servant to their new master. If willed, they would become the mindless monsters history would always portray them to be.

She wondered what she could tell him that would help her situation without giving too much information. What if he wanted to go to her world? There were others, few others, like him. But while her world was wide it was too small for too many supernatural beings. With dragons being hunted near extinction, it would only be a matter of time before all traces of myth and magic were gone. Without her there, doing her duty, Surai feared the dragons wouldn't stand a chance. There were too few left that were strong enough to stand up to the relentless prosecution. "Suppose you can return me home," she said then spoke carefully, "If that is your intention. You must not desire to follow where I walk. You must never come to my homeland. It is not a place for you." she told him, her eyes regarding him warily.

"Follow you home?" Dysis shook his head. "I don't have any desire to be any place but here, to me this is mu only home." From the sounds of things, it was not a place he wanted to be anyway with a ten inch pole. If they were hunting dragons, then it wouldn't be surprising if they hunted him and his sister too. They had enough trouble with stuff now, but it was still relatively peaceful. Why ruin it to run off into some world he knew nothing about?

"Anyway, you don't have to worry about that. I can't judge since I haven't been there but it sounds a bit more troubled then here. Like back in our past. We had a long troubled history before we got to where we're at now.." He glanced at her. "Funny thing? One of the people that helped change things for the better was the Dragon Lord Reifer, and his wife Iilara who's a Wind Demon. If you stay around long enough or if you want I'll explain more."

Dysis didn't know why he was being so talkative. Normally he wasn't, maybe the girl was different?

He shrugged it aside. "I could try to get you home through Nexus City. But if you don't know Where you're from exactly it'll be hard. Do you have anything from home?"

The disdain in his voice for her world rubbed her the wrong way before she remembered it was good to discourage him. Still, it didn't make her feel any better. Her home was a ruined one, but it was still the place where she hatched. She tried not to look so down but maybe he would assume she was homesick and want to help her faster. The quicker the better. His words patched up the feelings she had and she nodded slowly, "I suppose every place has its beginnings. But we are at our end. The end of our world." she told him softly. The information about some dragon lord was intriguing, although it didn't surprise her that he'd taken a powerful demon as a mate; it was a given that any such lord or empress would seek a mate. No one would seek a mate of greater or lesser power, the two were always equal as it should be. She assumed this was also the case here.

She let him talk and didn't mind it, usually being the good listener. The one that took detail into consideration and obeyed every command flawlessly because of it. This was not much different, only that it benefitted her and helped her understand the place she'd come to. Surai thought for a long moment before answering, looking perplexed until she did, "I should like to return as soon as possible. However I am not even sure how to return to that strange light…" she murmured then thought it was best to explain how she got here. "A mere goblin tried to trick me for… for a boon." she twisted her words the way dragons loved to do with puzzles. Much like elves or the fae in the sense. Only they weren't forced to, it was merely for fun; for Surai, a reflex. In her mind, the boon was the bag of rubies if he'd succeeded. "He failed, and we both ended up here. The creature disappeared beneath the street and I was nearly harmed by a large, noisy creature with metallic plating." she described an SUV.

It took her a moment to ponder over things. Telling him the truth about her world shouldn't make him want to follow her. If anything, he'd probably want to stay here where he was safe from the horrors her kind faced. She wasn't sure if his race was prosecuted the way hers was, there were even fewer. Dragons seemed to be the last formidable force on her planet that had enough in numbers to stand a chance against the humans and their advanced technologies. She visibly shuddered, closing her eyes for a moment and hugging her arms to her sides. "My world is an empty place. For miles there is no green, no grass or water. The few there are, humans have built huge cities upon. They have…" she hesitated. "They have done much to it. Ravaged it. Dragons fight them for the little places of life there is left. Even then." she sighed. "I do not know if this will help, but they are far advanced in the use of clockwork and steam. Of course, with the land dying, they need a new source of fuel. First, it started with those that were born with magic. Witches. Wizards. Then, those trapped in the sea. And now us, the ones that thrive in the sky. They take our Scales. They take our Blood. They take our Teeth. They take our Eggs." she murmured, anger mounting but she controlled it somehow even though her voice shook. "It is a ruined world but it is my home. I shall fight for it. Help me. Help me find it. There is not a moment to lose." she told him, the resolve in her gaze was strong.

Dysis didn't understand it. Why would she want to go back to such a depressing and hopeless place? He could never call home perfect and there were plenty of problems but it wasn't that bad. The place sounded appalling and quite frankly horrifying.

Did she have family there? And even if she did, wouldn't it make more sense to try to leave that world and let the humans have it? They sounded worse then the ones here.

Finally, he sighed. "I'll help you. But keep in mind a number of things. One, Nexus City is far away and I can't just take you there on a whim. I don't know any mages that could transport you back. At best I can get you someone to guide you there, because I can't leave for long for a number of reasons and that's a way to travel. While I get that settled..I'll see about asking my mom to letting you stay with us."

The bigger question was, why was he being so helpful? It wasn't like he knew this woman at all and here he was going out of his way for her.

"Deal?" He said, holding out a hand.

As soon as he made a sighing sound she lost that ferociousness, blinking as though returning from a trance, utterly surprised that she'd revealed so much. Initially she'd intended on simply making it seem like a horrible place so he wouldn't go. But after what she told him she knew that her world was awful. Perhaps it was a really bad place, destined for destruction. Still… It was Home. She was created for the purpose of defending her kind, so she believed. Why else would she be called the 'unholy offspring of lightning and Death itself'?

The place he spoke about, Nexus City, she'd heard it a few times in the Empress' briefs before but she'd never made any personal connection. She was just a stand-in. Summoned at her liege's command and forced to wait until called upon, there was no law against listening in if you were desired to be in the empress's presence. He talked about someone taking her there and she seemed to frown slightly at this. When he extended his hand she snorted softly, staring at it in further puzzlement for she'd never shook before. Of course she'd seen the empress do so with her military commanders and powerful leaders of the few flocks but that was with people she trusted. Surai had yet to be certain that she wanted to trust him just yet. Feigning confusion, she slowly extended her tail, wrapping it into his palm and wrist. Although she was gentle he could feel the power in the small muscle.

"It is a deal. I suppose." she said purposefully as she stared at him in the eye, unflinching. "I saved your loved one's lives, did I not? Did I not scare those bad men away? In fact, am I not entitled to your three lives?" she asked, proving that she was smarter than a beast. "I would prefer that you return me home, guiding me the whole way. But if that is the way people of this world repay those they are indebted to, then I imagine this will suffice." she shrugged, becoming a little arrogant but she didn't care. He said it took a long time, how long would it take? A matter of days, weeks? She'd been gone long enough. What more did even a few months matter. Who knew how many hatchlings had been lost or Elders skinned live for fresh scales to fuel those horrid, smoke-spouting, cranking machines?

Dysis raised a brow a bit. "..I wouldn't use a group of individuals to judge a whole group and how they are. Good or bad." Really, to him that was a pitfall too many made at times. Somebody would have a bad experience with a certain crowd, then write off the others as the same way. Similarly, someone would have a good experience of a group, and then judge them more postively.

"I can get you there about in a week, at the most." He said, voice laxed. "You hungry?"

She raised an eyebrow dubiously, wondering why he couldn't accept her logic. It seemed perfectly acceptable to her. But she shook his hand a second time to assure him she would consent to it still. "If you say so." she murmured, her tail recoiling back to six feet. "A week does not sound very bad." she said with surprise, slowly ducking under the shape of the stairwell so she could stand in the tall, murmuring a respectful, "Excuse me." so she could get out. "Yes, I am." she said a little too eagerly to hide how hungry she was.

"What do you eat?" she asked curiously, ready to follow him wherever he led. She started pulling the hood over her head, tucking the loose strands into it and fluffing out the hoodie for comfort. Although it didn't feel very cold outside, she loved the heat. "Where do you live?" she continued, wondering where she would be staying for some time. "And can…" she stopped, hesitating and biting her lip. She wanted to take a tour of the city, or at least as much as possible as they could today before they started the journey back to her home. She knew, for a fact, that she wouldn't allow herself to fall into a trap like that again. There was no way Surai would be returning.

That was one subject it didn't look like the two were going to agree on anytime soon. That suited Dysis just fine. He had a few friends and they didn't exactly agree on everything either. If everyone agreed and saw everything, then the world would be one frightening and boring place.

"Things I eat? Depends on my mood. Where I live? Here." He indicated towards the stairs where he came for a moment. "Follow me. You're a dragon so I figure you'd want something with plenty of meat and I know just the place. Follow me."

Dysis noticed her adjusting the hood to cover herself more but didn't say anything. He lead her away from his home and another part of the general area. Both of them entered through what looked like a classic 'all you can eat' buffet. Just on the front counter was a young man, likely in their mid twenties with pointed ears. It was easy to tell they were an Elf of some kind.

"We'll, look who's here. Our favorite customer." They said. "And you have a girlfriend too."

Dysis shook his head. "It's nothing of that sort. She's just a friend." The person at the counter had a 'sure' look but didn't press it anymore as Dysis paid for them both.

"Get as much as you want." Dysis said, getting a plate. "I usually come here to eat, and sometimes just hang out. Dragons aren't the only race that eats a lot so knock yourself out." All around the young dragon would pick up various races and humans eating side by side as if nothing out of the ordinary was going on. It was a strong contrast to her own world. Dysis' seemed far more peaceful.

She glanced up the steps before following him outside, her tail curling around her waist and stomach; hidden in her hoodie so the humans on the street wouldn't suspect. Like a docile female, she followed almost exactly two steps behind him and remained precisely behind him as though it was what she was trained to do. Her eyes never strayed too far from his back so she wouldn't get distracted. They suddenly arrived at a place that smelled wonderful.

The first man they saw startled her, an Elf, she had not seen one in centuries. "Hello." she nodded politely then kept her eyes down, not hearing what he'd said. It finally occurred to her that he was taking care of her and she felt fidgety because of it. Few others ever had to care for the great protector, Surai. It was unheard of. Her posture hunched over the table slightly, staring directly down at one of the shiny white plates. When he spoke she looked up, startled out of her thoughts. "Can I really feed as much as I want?" she asked, not really sure if that was the right thing to do; that would cost him dearly. But as she looked around and saw other people eating and returning to the steaming displays of food at the center her stomach grumbled loudly. It wasn't until she'd stared at the same man returning a third time in less than five minutes that most were non humans. And the humans co-existed, even shared tables with them.

Her eyes slowly drifted back toward his, "Is this… Is this really possible?" she asked quietly, a little more than alarmed. When she saw humans, when she walked among them in their form, she tolerated them because it was for the best. Safety. She was kind to them to get information she needed or to learn about how they lived. Never though would she consider sharing a table with one. "This world is so strange. It is troublesome." she murmured. It was as if she needed permission from Dysis. She also didn't want to get up and go over by herself. There were so many milling around the bars that she shied a little more. Despite her tail slowly slipping from under the confines of her garments. The end swayed like a cat's but she fidgeted in her chair. "I… do not wish to go alone." she told him with embarrassment, turning a light shade of red as she looked at her hands in her lap, a deep frown on her face.

While Dysis didn't know her for long, it seemed almost odd to him she was shy about doing something like this. If she traveled with others in a group then something like this shouldn't be too out of place. But maybe it was because of the setting. After all, she was completely new here, and on top of that didn't have anybody here that was connected to her home.

"I'll go with you if you're nervous." He said to the young dragon, finding it strangely cute with how she was acting at the moment. "As for your question, it is. It still isn't perfect but its a lot better then how things used to be. I think sometimes people take the peace we have now for granted though."

She looked up eagerly then nodded, "Yes." was all she said before timidly getting up after him. Surai kept her hands in her hoodie pockets as they walked over toward the steaming pans of food. It was comforting to hear that things in this world were in order, even if people assumed it would always be like that. As far as she was concerned it was better here. At first she wondered why the Empress never thought to move the rest of the dragons here and let the humans rule their home world. But it occurred to her that maybe their leader did think of it. And it would've been wrong to impose so many displaced dragons upon the denizens of this one.

As soon as they reached the buffet bar her eyes widened as her stomach started speaking to her. The dragon clasped her hands together to keep from grabbing what she could and forcing it into her mouth. She watched Dysis and those around her at first and hesitantly grabbed one of the rapidly disappearing plates. The first thing she went for was the meat. Chicken was good and all but what she needed was something heavy, like beef. She sniffed around, snorting a bit as she faced away from the food, taking in too many scents at once before she focused on a separate bar on the side. There were people behind the displays cutting up portions of choice beef, ham, and cooking them on the grill and hot plate right before her eyes. She pointed at a roast beef many times, the cook grinning and slicing a new piece each time she pointed. When there were five he took them away to the cooking slab. She licked her lips and almost ran back to the table as soon as he gave the food to her.

There were some other things she got but it was the meat she hungered for. If it had been her first time in human form she would've been as primitive as they got. Somehow she managed to follow her own scent back to the table they'd sat at when a waitress came over and asked what she wanted to drink, all she could come up with was, "Water, please." As soon as the woman left she barely had the notion to grab a fork and knife and start cutting before placing a big piece in her mouth. As she chewed, she thought she should wait for him to return. It was only polite. But he wouldn't mind if she had a few more bites, she told herself and took another.

Dysis sat down not too long after she did. Unlike the dragon, he didn't really need to eat all that much at least in comparison to the two. He had the forsight to know that feeding her until she was actually full would empty his pockets--dragons were known for their large appetites after all. It was said because they had such large bodies and energy they needed large masses of food.

The Dhampir knew that was true from experience. Idly, he wondered what he was going to do in the long term if she was staying for any length but he'd figure something out.

"I've been curious of something." He said, sitting down. "In your world, is there any of my kind there?"

She looked up when he re-joined her, managing a little smile. It was the least she could do to show her gratitude while she ate. The dragon didn't take very long to finish her meal but before she could go for seconds he spoke up. "Your kind…?" she repeated him and looked at her empty plate, pondering. "Your kind… your kind…" she closed her eyes, wracking her brain for awhile. Finally she looked up, a sad, apologetic smile on her face. "I am afraid not. If there are, they are well-hidden. I did not go into much detail, but as I said before, the humans first wiped out all magic they could find on the ground. Unicorn, elf, monster, and likely your kind. Then the sea with the serpents, merpeople, and the like. Now the air. The dragons had the most time to continue spawning while the other races were being taken over. The few that fled initially are now on other worlds, maybe even this one, and will continue on our legacy while the rest of us fight." she told him. "I am truly sorry." she murmured, hoping that it wouldn't dampen his mood.

When it seemed proper to do so, Surai excused herself from the table and slowly stood, taking her plate back with her with the thought not to waste time washing so many dishes when she had one in her hand. She returned with a heap of food but this time she was full by the time she finished most of it. If she overindulged she was certain she would be sick; not to mention fat and lethargic. She couldn't afford that. "Thank you so much. I truly appreciate it." she thanked him. "Where will we go now?" she asked, curious to see what other places he might take her to. Not realizing that she was pretty much asking for a date.

Dysis had a feeling that was probably the case, so it didn't effect him like it would have if he hadn't braced himself mentally before hand. Still, it was a bid disconcerting to know that the state of the world she had came from was so dire. Maybe some of the people from her world had ended up here long ago to avoid persecution, that wouldn't really surprise him.

"Next?" He said almost more to himself. "Not sure. I plan on seeing about my mom letting you stay over at our place. I have to get going to school and I can't bring someone there with me to my own classes."

Although it was a hopeful thought, that some of her kind had escaped, they would never be allowed back into any of the flocks if the dragons actually did win against the humans. They would be viewed as cowards for abandoning their kind. Either way, to her it didn't matter, as long as some were safe; it was fewer dragons she had to worry about.
"I see." she murmured and nodded, wondering if it was alright that they loitered and chatted in the busy restaurant. The smell of freshly cooked meat made her want to eat more but she fought hard against her starved stomach. Not only undernourished from wandering the city for so long but she'd never seen that much food in once place on her world. Not unless you counted an army of bloodthirsty humans that is.

"Your mother," she said thoughtfully, "Ah, the woman from last night. She was hurt. Is she well?" she asked with concern. Remembering the woman who threw herself in front of the younger girl. Remembering the scents now, she recalled that the girl also smelled like the other two. "And your sister," she continued, "How is she recovering? I hope she was not traumatized." she said gently. Surai wondered if she would be accepted, after all, she was a stranger to them. Even if she'd helped them, it was not guaranteed that they'd warm up to her, even like that she was staying. "I promise not to be a burden. We will go to the portal within the week." she told him solemnly.
Another topic caught her interest as well. "School? Like where humans go to learn how to kill dragons?" she asked then frowned, "Pardon me, perhaps not all classes are like that. You are not human anyway and this place is not hostile. Forgive me." she excused herself again. "I would like to see what classes you take," she said optimistically. "I want to see what they teach here. I should like to spread those teachings with the hatchlings if it will enable them to live longer." she told him, wondering if that would poke him enough to let her tag along. She really didn't want to mope around his home, confined spaces were not her favorite places, and she didn't want to feel awkward around his mother and sister. It actually felt better having him around, since he was her guide and all, so that he could teach her all that she needed to know before she screwed up and accidentally offended someone. That was the thing she feared most in civilized society; making mistakes due to her own ignorance.

Dysis was a bit surprised at the turn of conversation, but he didn't really mind. "My mother is fine, but she won't be able to move around as much until she recovers. She has to take it easy for at least a couple of days. I know that's hard for her because she doesn't like to sit still at all. As for my sister." He paused. "I think she's okay, she's not acting any different from before. I heard kids are suppose to be very resilient at that age."

Would he able to tell if she was more bothered then she let on?

That worried him, but there was nothing to be done about it. The fact there was a school that was dedicated more of how to kill dragons then learning disgusted him. To him, it felt like a sick perversion of the learning system. It shouldn't be about something like that. It should be about learning how to better yourself, learn from history or to try to better the world around you. It felt wrong.

"The more I hear about the humans of that world, the more they remind me too much of Isacroit." He said more to himself bitterly.

At what she said, he sighed but smiled weakly. "If that's what you want to come for, then I can't stop you. I can show you around the campus a bit and some places. Keep in mind that unless you're a student some places you can't get too. But if you ever decide you want to, I'll see about it."

The Dhampir lead her out, opening the door for her to let the young woman go first. "Something I've been curious about just from my own scholar point of view. What kind of dragon are you?"