[M] The Cat and the Assassin

"Of course you like what you see," she quipped. Brianna raised her arms above her head and stretched, posing for the man whose bed she had warmed the night before. "My body is a prize, you know. I take a lot of pride in it." She lowered her arms and walked to the fireplace, where she had vague memories of discarding her shirt. "I'd walk around shirtless all the time, if I could, but men like to get handsy when they see tits out in the open."

Kicking her shirt up into the air, Brianna caught it and wrapped it around her breasts before fastening it. "And as much as I know you'd love to see me in your clothes," she cast him a glance, her eyes crinkling as she grinned wryly, "I wouldn't look good swimming in your shirt." And it would restrict her movement. Clothes were such a pain, why did people bother with them, the woman wondered as she combed her fingers through her hair, delicately working through several of the knots and kinks that had developed when Zaeren tangled himself up in her wild mane.

His words reached her ears, and they twitched in response.

"It's sweet of you to worry about me," she began, her voice soft. "I'll be fine, Zae. Really. The chance to kill the monster who took my village? My family? This is all I can ask for." Brianna stood tall, her gaze unwavering as she met his eyes. "I can put them to rest, now. I can give all of them closure, and by the Gods I will slay that beast with my own claws even if it kills me." She bared her fangs in a toothy grin. "Worry not for me, but for the dragon. I'm going to rip his heart out and eat it."

"I vont lie. I like ze idea of you beside me in battle. I vould trust no one else vit zat honor," he said as he watched her getting ready. Even though his words were well and respectful it didn't stop him from worrying about her in the slightest. Then again he didnt want that monster that had taken so much to take more then he already had. She had survived her plight. He didn't want her to lose that battle now.

His smile was soft, hiding all the worry he felt. "And I vill be tere to help. Zat vill be good." He moved to the around the home for a bit gathering his things. Making sure he was ready and presentable to go. He smiled at her again and then opened the door to the small cabin. There wawas no turning back now. They had a job to do. He could feel that weight pulling on him. He wouldn't rest until it was taken care of one way or another.

He pulled his cloak tightly around him. "Just stay close okay? Dragons can get dangerous..." He opened a portal. Time for games were over. The portal would lead just outside of the dragon kingdom palace. They needed to make up time for last night. This would also bring them into enemy domain. However he had no intention of leaving there without a head.

"Ladies first."

"I'm a wicked shot with a bow and arrow," Brianna replied with a grin, her bow slung over her shoulder and her quiver strapped to her back. She looked longingly at her pack, still resting by the table, and thought quickly on whether or not she'd need anything within. With a shake of her head, she decided against bringing anything unnecessary. It'd only weigh her down, and in combat, her maneuverability was key.

As she pulled her leopard-skin cloak around her body, pulling the beast's head over her own, she replied to Zaeren in a low, deadly voice, "You don't need to remind me of that." Of course she knew dragons were dangerous. The scar on her left shoulder would never let her forget. Her steely gaze fell on the portal, and before she could convince herself otherwise, Brianna stepped through.

Travel by portal was never fun. It was why she traveled everywhere by foot. Her body felt like it was being pulled in every direction at once as she fell through the void. It was like seeing the universe splayed out before her, whirring by so fast she couldn't even process anything outside of blurring colors and flashes of light.

And then it was over. She'd stepped out onto the other side as if she'd stepped through a door. Spacial awareness be dammed, apparently.

The scene before her was... off. It was a mountain, but not a mountain. What appeared to be a mountain was transparent, at least from where she stood. Within the vision she could see an enormous castle, no doubt the home of the king. Brianna's heart pounded in her chest. She was really here. She was really fucking here and she was going to rip that monster's god's damned throat out. In a fluid motion, one she could do with her eyes closed, Brianna swung the bow around and off her back. Standing it up, she strung it, testing its tensile strength until she got it just right.

It was time.

Her eyes were alight with the fires of determination, and the woman looked as fierce as the beast whose skin she wore.

"It's time. Let's go."

Zaeren came up behind her and watched her test her bow. He smiled slightly and began to walk in the direction he knew to go. He was happy she was happy. He knew this meant a lot to her. A chance to right a wrong committed so long ago. He was surprised she was not shaking a bit with excitement or fear for that matter. This was the dragon that took everything from her and many others. It was time he paid his price. He had a debt so large the man wasn't even sure his death could pay it all, but a life for a life, blood for blood and flesh for flesh. That dragon would be his tonight. One way or another. 

"Put your bov dovn for nov. Ve von't need it just yet. Ze dragons vill not deny me. Zey knov better ten to turn tier back on me. So lets just valk in trough ze front of ze castle. Let him greet us, his death, like a old friend coming home for ze first time in years. It vill be ze last friend he greets." A dark smile spread over his lips as he walked down the road. He could hear roars in the distance of the younger dragons, hear the sound of challenging roars of those practicing fights. Dragons had adapted so much since the the last time one of his had come here to settle business, but that was normally the case. Things like this brought fear to people. He was going to be their salvation, deathbringer, and peacemaker today. He was going to do the job he was meant to do. He smiled as he thought of this. The thought of the balance being restored and all those wrongs made right.

The more the walked, the more massive the castle grew. It was meant to hold dragons. It was a large one indeed. Even in their dragon forms they could walk freely in this building. He smiled as he looked back at her. His eyes sharp and keen. "Let me knov if you vanna hang back okay?" He blinked. "I don't vant you hurt. Teir is no shame is self preservation." He looked forward again and back to where he was headed. He wanted to put and end to this. But he did have one rule. He didn't like involving innocent people as casualties. He wanted to give her justice as well though. He walked a fine line. Zaeren did know one thing though. It wasn't her time to die. It could not end in that. She had so much left to look forward to once this was taken away from her. She desrved to live and to know what life was like once this painful blight on her life was erased.

 Slowly, he stepped up to the doors and pushed them open. Step inside and smiled. A few dragons stopped to look at him. They knew. He could see it in their faces. They remember what he was. Even if it was just from stories. They backed away a bit. He walked down the familiar hallways. He was headed to the throne room. "Just don't hit an innocent ones."

Unseen to Zaren, Brianna was shivering--trembling, even. "I'm not going to put my bow down," she hissed quietly to him as they drew nearer to the enormous castle. "Not around these monsters." Her eyes darkened as she slung the bow over her shoulder, gripping it so tightly with her left hand that her knuckles turned white. Even as her hands trembled and her heart thundered in her chest, she kept moving forward, walking in stride with Zaeren.

Her head craned as she drew nearer to the castle, absolutely dwarfed by its presence. Even looking up at it she couldn't see the top, just the walls leading up into the sky. Gods, if the castle was this big, the dragons must be, too.

For a split second she felt her heart leap into her throat, pounding. Zaeren wanted to protect her, let her hang back, but dammit she wasn't a child. She hadn't been one for a long time. And this was a debt she wanted paid in blood. For herself, for her people, for her mother... this dragon would pay. She wouldn't back down. She wouldn't flee. Not this time. Not again.

Never again.

She followed Zaeren through the colossal doors, and couldn't help but delight as the dragons backed away from him. He was parting the sea, and she was his wake. The smirk that spread across her face was small, barely a lifted corner of her lips, and she laughed shortly through her nose. So even dragons had fears... Brianna was aiming to become one of them.

Falling back into step at Zaeren's side, the feline glanced up at him from the corners of her eyes and replied rather dryly, "I won't fire at anyone who isn't attacking me." Her voice was low, so as to keep the dragons from hearing her. At the sound of their distant roars, the fur on her tail stood on end. Her hands trembled, and she gripped the bow tighter, the polished wood creaking in her grasp. "I'll wait for your signal, Zae."

"Good. I'll implore you not to attack anyone but zose zat I do. Ve don't need a var, but ve need to make tis vork for peace. Tis King has caused too much damage and I don't mean just to you. He has vrong his own putting teir lives on ze line and costing some teir families just as you vere. Not everyone here likes him. Just too afraid to try to do anyting on teir own," he whispered to her softly. He wanted her to understand, that yes the King was horrible but not all dragons were like him.

He looked over and gave her a small smile. He stopped outside the throne room and looked up st the massive doors. Voices could be heard inside. He could sense royals there too. The King of this castle would be there, but in truth he had no idea of the other royals would move to defend the king or help him die. A part of him worried for Bri because of that. His kind had a reputation, but she didn't. He would have to make sure they knew if they attacked her, he would take it as a personal slight.

His fingers traced the door and for a second regret filled his eyes and then was gone. He never took pleasure in this. This always hurt him on a deep level to be truthful. He didn't like killing for sport, but this one deserved it. Still old memories haunted him. "Bri are you ready? Once I open this door tere is no going back. Ve vill have to act."

His fingers closed around the door handle. He would not open it until she said she was ready. But at the same time he was also readying himself. "And Bri- I trust you."

You'll have to forgive me if I don't immediately start trusting all dragons, thought Brianna bitterly. Sure, it was the king who ordered it, but his orders had been followed. They had been just as complicit as their king, but... it wasn't her place to decide who to kill. Zaeren had picked their target, and she wouldn't stray from his decision. She had a feeling it would be a very, very bad idea to do so.

His words took her by surprise, and her eyes widened at them. Glancing up at Zaeren with wide doe eyes, Brianna found herself at a complete loss for words.

"What... what brought that on?" she asked quickly, giving a chuckle to play off her complete shock. She brushed hair out of her face, trying to act as casual as she could. Yet with one hand she reached out to brush it again his; a silent gesture of appreciation and reciprocation. "I trust you too, Zae." Her voice was barely above a whisper.

"Now, throw open those doors. The anticipation is killing me." Brianna took her hand away from his and returned it to her bow, ready to strike at a moments notice.

Zaeren nodded. His muscles tightened in his back as he gathered his strength for what was behind these doors as he pushed them open. The doors opened inward and there he was- The fabled King of Dragons. He was a Black with golden eyes. Gradients of gray stroked along his body with silver markings and golden flecks. He looked at them curious for a moment and then growled. Zaeren was known at this court. Far more than he'd like to admit. His arrival was almost expected at this point from all the horrors that had occured.

"Hovalth," Zaeren warned as he growled back. His growl seemed to echo just as loudly as the King's in warning. "I have come at first for a varning to give you, but zat vas tvo years ago. After zat varning vas delievered you heeded my vords for about a veek ten disreguarded tem. You should've stay on the pat I left you on."

His eyes flashed menacingly at the King and he stepped into the room. The King who was on on his stage where his throne sat lifted his dragonic head from his resting place. "Before ve end tis, I vill let my friend here speak to you. She has vaited a long time for tis moment and I vill not deny her te right to tell you hov she feels first."

Zaeren stepped to the side to allow Bri through, but his hand was on his blade. It was clear he was ready to strike should the king try something. The guards were ill at ease and shifted. They wanted another royal to come help, afraid to die in the cross fire.

When Zaeren opened the door, her body sent stiff. The air behind those doors was warm and reeked of dragon. The scent of smoke was thick in the air, and it brought back memories of that dreadful day. The burning forest around her; scorched earth; burning flesh and hair; screaming... so much screaming; the sound of trees snapping under the weight of dragons; the blackened sky; ash filled her lungs, she was choking. She couldn't see very far. It was hazy... so hazy. A squelching sound as someone was crushed. The sound of breaking bones, the smell of blood everywhere. Blood and ash. The roaring laughter of the beasts...

It was the name of the beast that broke her free of her memories.

Hovalth.

That was the name of the dragon that ordered the slaughter of her people.

The sweat that has begun to roll down her bare back suddenly dried as a wave of warm air washed over her, accompanied by the faintest of warmth from the dagger at her right hip. She brushed her fingers over the obsidian surface, never taking her gaze from the broad muscles of Zaeren's back. Before he could even move to step aside, Brianna had stepped under his arm to walk straight into the throne room.

She fixed her eyes on Hovalth, meeting his golden eyes with her own, narrowed with determination and alight with resent and contempt. Her bare feet carried her cross the stone floor with steady steps. To her, time felt like it had slowed down. Each footstep echoed as it hit the floor, her tail swished in time with her hips; Brianna held the appearance of a strong, confident warrior as she moved. Each breath she took served only to refocus her mind away from the murmurs of the other dragons around her.

Who was this small feline and why had she come with the peace maker? What gave her the nerve to approach their king?

But they dared not move.

She had seen the way they had eyed Zaeren, and she bore his marks on her skin. Wore his scent like a cloak. Even now she knew the man stood at the far end of the hall, his hand on his blade in warning. And the thought emboldened the woman. She need not fear dragons today. No, today...

Today the dragons feared her.

Her hair and cloak swirled around her as she came to a stop before the king, glaring up at him with a fiery gaze that threatened to ignite the very air. Brandishing her bow like a sword, the kelahati pointed it at Hovalth, bearing her fangs.

"Over one-hundred years ago you ordered the extermination of a kelahati settlement in the Cloudbourne jungle. I watched your army slaughter my people on your orders. I watched as my people died pleading for their lives. I watched as they were cut down for trying to escape the slaughter," she spoke in a low voice, tinged with a primal growl that bubbled up from deep within her throat. Her fangs flashed as she continued to speak, the throaty growl in her voice growing more intense, "I don't care whether you think you were justified or not. Today, I'm here to collect a blood debt owed to my people.

And you better fucking pray to your gods for any mercy they see fit to give your pathetic scaly ass, you great ugly lizard."

In the blink of an eye, Brianna had notched an arrow, taken aim, and let it fly straight into the king's right eye.

Zaeren let her speak. He had no intentions of getting in her way as she started forward. To him she, and all the other victims needed this day. However, he had not known she was going to do that. The arrow show forward and Zae moved to shield her. He knew it was coming when he saw the lip twitch. The tail flickered and then fire roared out of the King's maw.

It licked against his long white fangs as it moved to counter the arrow that instead got logged in his nostril causing him to roar even louder at his discomfort. The castle would have heard him. Zaeren knew his timeline had been sped up. Oh well for reading his crimes to him. Moving his hand in a circular motion he changed the fire to water that splashed on the ground in front of him and Bri

The King roared as his claws tried to get the arrow out only to cause himself more damage as his claws scrapped against his skin digging it deeper. "Bri get back and cover me," Zaeren said as he shifted. This time it wasn't the kitsune form, but of a massive dragon. His whole body was covered in spikes and looked like a deadly weapon.

Zaeren roared and lunched for the king. His teeth gripping the Kings neck as he moved to pin him down. The King was clawing at his scales and he could feel them finding purchase here and here. Zaeren reached out for Bri's mind.

*I am going to have him dovn but it vont be for long. I need you to fire zat arrow again. Try to get bot eyes.* Half way through Zaeren cringed as the kings teeth found his leg, but in response, Zaeren brought his tail around and smashed the King's head dazing him.

Bri hurry! Te guards are getting antsy.