Lives end/Life begins (Open)

As Xiao transformed into the girl April had nearly hit with her car, in the moments of confusion leading up to this whole situation with the lion-humanoids, April breathed a sigh of relief. As much of a warrior as April felt she was becoming, she figured anyone else in her situation would do the same thing, looking up at the size of the monstrous dragon, now transforming back down into size. Truth be told, April wasn't even quite sure how she would have gone about fighting Xiao if she'd "Hulked" on her, then made a mad dash for the city. Though with all things, she figured slice and dice always worked well. However she was truly happy she didn't have to do any of that, instead able to focus on exactly what the hell had just happen...

A smile crept across April's face as Xiao cleared the felled tree, which she easily hoisted into the air in her massive hands, then tossed aside like a twig. Chuckling to herself, April sarcastically said "Hey... You don't mind coming to my house right? My mom wants me to do a whole bunch of things around the house that I think you could help me with!".

However the thought of a true to life dragon lumbering around her house made April think twice, so she quickly retracted her statement, then saying "On second thought.... I should just probably get you to Antonio... He's an expert when it comes to this sort of things... I'm sure he'll love meeting you.".

April could tell that her new companion was shaken, as she said  "Um... the road's... clear now. I could use some water once in town...". April nodded, saying "Ahhhh water... Sure thing. I know what it's like to get that shit in your eyes... Long story.... Anyway! Why don't we hop in my car so we can head into town?". Glancing at her car, April softly said "If it's still running....".

As she readied herself to head towards her car, April realized she'd nearly forgotten about Mustafa, whom she'd vanquished in single combat. The lion-humanoid was stirring, clearly coming to from a blow that should have knocked him unconscious for quite a bit longer. Well.... He's got to have a better protected skull then the average human... Or demon... April reasoned with herself, as she suddenly felt as if she'd lost some power in her kicks.

Turning to Xiao, April said "What do you want to do with him?", as she causally motioned towards the defeated hunter. Which after thinking about for a moment, April said "I suppose we should bring him with us?".

Xiao blinked some more, her eyes red from the caspium bomb. She resolved that rubbing them more would not help. "Huh... expert? oh, okay. Thank you, you are kind. I do not think I can ride my moped in this condition." Xiao picks up her light scooter and ties it to the roof of April's car, which was relatively intact throughout the ordeal, the mutant hyenas doing nothing more than slightly crumple the roof.

Xiao then turned to Mustafa, after April called her attention. "I don't know. I guess I'll go talk to him."

Mustafa made no move, not evening standing where he was and continuing the fight. He was smart enough to know when his prey was too strong for him- one capable of becoming a dragon, another a demigod of battle.

"I'm not going to hurt you..." Xiao reassured the lion man, still blinking from the Caspium.

"Then you are weak, and your enemies will return in greater strength and number. I will not speak to my quarry, I would rather with my better." Mustafa retorted, rubbing his temple with his big meaty hands.

"What makes you think I can't beat you?" Xiao growled slightly, in a feeble attempt to intimidate the lion... complete with her hands on her hips in a disapproving gesture.

"You are not willing to do what it takes to truly win. To kill. I can tell you were raised soft, among the humans. Even as a dragon, you will not kill. Stand aside." Mustafa slowly came to his feet, his weapons still on the ground.

"You are a most worthy adversary, the first to challenge me in years. Let me live... have a chance to return to my Pride... and I shall enlighten you and your companion regarding those who would have her head." Mustafa went silent a moment, correcting himself. "Your heads."

Xiao tensed at Mustafa's statement, feeling guilty that she'd just involved April.

(OOC: Sorry was on a trip the last few days! I'll be updating everyday going forward.)

April walked over to her even more beat up grey hatchback, hoping beyond hope that the car would at least run. If it didn't that would mean she would have to take the bus, get rides, or walk to school.... All of which were forms of social suicide for an upperclassman in any High School across the country, not to mention another reason for him mom to consider doing the job for her.

As she opened the rickety door to her car, she noticed she'd left a water bottle in the side of the door from the day before That's certainly convenient she thought to herself, as she handed the bottle of spring water to her new companion, who said about meeting Antonio "Huh... expert? oh, okay. Thank you, you are kind. I do not think I can ride my moped in this condition.".

April nodded, saying "Don't tell him I called him that.... He's already got an ego the size of well... Most Italian men... About his intelligence anyway.". April then leaned in to Xiao and said "Don't want to ask him about how his combat training sessions are going with me... Lets just say I've bruised more then just his ego.".

Quickly noticing she was way of topic, April said "Ahhh ya! Feel free to hitch a ride with me, actually I insist! Just get your mopped on the roof and we can get going...". However that wasn't really the case, because they couldn't just leave Mustafa where he could get free and have another shot at taking out Xiao, or anyone else for that matter.

On who should talk to the lion-humanoid, Xiao said "I don't know. I guess I'll go talk to him." and April nodded, giving Xiao some space to talk to the hunter, though keeping a close and watchful eye on the situation as she readied her clunker of a car for the short journey to the Golden Gavel.

As she listened, it quickly became apparent to April that Mustafa had no interest in speaking with Xiao, however it seemed he was more then willing to talk with her. Figuring that like it or not they needed to find out why he or anyone else for that matter was after Xiao, April stepped forward as the massive lion-humanoid said "You are a most worthy adversary, the first to challenge me in years. Let me live... have a chance to return to my Pride... and I shall enlighten you and your companion regarding those who would have her head." Mustafa went silent a moment, correcting himself. "Your heads.".

April nodded her head, saying "You weren't so bad yourself...". April thought for a moment, thinking about the costs and benefits for letting Mustafa go, after a moment she said "If we let you go.... You'll tell us what we need to know, then you'll be gone.... No more coming after either of us?". Once she had her answer, April said "Alright.... Spill it before I spill your guys...".

April could sense that Xiao had some lingering guilt about involving her in all of this. In order to put the other girl at ease, April said "Don't worry... You're not the first person to involve me in something hazardous for my health... And this isn't even your fault! Perhaps... Perhaps I was meant to help you?".

As April pondered her own question, her mind delved into other places.... Places that still remembered everything her father had involved her in as a child....

Mustafa’s nostrils flared, and they were big nostrils, as he inhaled and explained away the situation. He was a hunter, honor the only rule he followed. He spoke to April clearly, showing her a gold coin bearing the face of a serpent.

“The half-breed girl is pursued by a dragonspawn called Daggoth, a beast that speaks, that has encroached on our lands and depleted our game. He has defeated the lord of the pride, my father, and thus cannot be challenged by us... But now that we have failed, we must mobilize for our survival... and I will challenge Daggoth myself.”

Xiao listened to the conversation as she secured her scooter to the top of the car. Daggoth... a dragonspawn. Could this have been one of her kind? Why did they seek her? She wanted to know more.

“You are as much a victim as I would have been then... if what you say is true.” Her attention fell on the gold coin, and absently, she took it from Mustafa, looking at it intently; glittering, glittering gold... this was the weakness of dragons’ hearts. The lion looked in contempt.

“The strong shall live, the weak will die. If Daggoth is truly strong, then it is natural for us to be defeated by him. Very well then, I have given you the name of your enemy... and I shall take my leave.” Mustafa said, having no retort of self-pity or agreement.

Mustafa turned, but stopped and looked at April once more, remembering something. He plucks one of his many bone trophies, and hands it to April. “This comes from one of my first hunts. By the sea I hunted a ferocious creature, a thing not of this world. It killed many of my pride. From now on they will know you are a worthy foe not to be trifled with.” He also hands him his vicious Kukri, a well crafted if savage looking weapon. He slowly makes his way off the highway, before breaking into a sprint towards the tree line, where a portal awaited him.

Xiao kept staring at the gold coin. Shiny....

Upon hearing Mustafa's reason for pursuing Xiao and inadvertently herself, April couldn't help but feel some sort of sympathetic admiration for the lion-humanoid. He was simply trying to protect his pride, his way of life, and his people.... Likely as randomly caught up in this situation as she was. Caught in a situation that truly had April worried now, because if this Daggoth dispatched Mustafa's father, he had to be one tough bastard. A tough bastard that they knew little more of then his name....

Once Mustafa finished speaking, April said "Well..... It seems you're as mixed up in everything as I am.". April then turned to look at Xiao and corrected herself, saying "As we are.....".

Xiao then said to Mustafa “You are as much a victim as I would have been then... if what you say is true.”, as she curiously focused on a coin he'd given her, which she was fiddling with in an odd manner.

Mustafa replied to the girl by saying “The strong shall live, the weak will die. If Daggoth is truly strong, then it is natural for us to be defeated by him. Very well then, I have given you the name of your enemy... and I shall take my leave.”. In April's mind truer words had never been spoken.... The strong lived, the weak died....

Her mind began to drift to the girls once again, but she pulled herself away from them in order to say "You may take your leave.... And know that you're the best I've ever faced. Actually the only challenge I've ever had!".

These words seemed to strike Mustafa, because he seemed to remember something, then turned around, handed her one of his bone trophies and said “This comes from one of my first hunts. By the sea I hunted a ferocious creature, a thing not of this world. It killed many of my pride. From now on they will know you are a worthy foe not to be trifled with.”, as well as handed her his massive Kukri, which would go nicely in her weapons collection.

Before Mustafa left, April said "Thank you.... Know that whoever asks about this bone, I will say it was given to me by a truly worthy and fierce opponent.". As Mustafa went to leave, April softly said "Good hunting brave Mustafa.....".

April then turned to Xiao, who still seemed entranced by the coin she was given. As Mustafa's portal closed, April said "Come on.... Lets get going....".

With that the two headed for April's car. As they approached it, April with the Kukri in one hand said "What did he give you?", as she was certainly curious about the object that was holding such sway over her new dragon companion. Who until today she didn't even know existed, then again she didn't think the pagan gods of old existed either, until she found out she was the daughter of one only a short while ago.

Once Xiao spoke, the two got into the beat up silver hatchback, which stirred to life, making the short trip to the Golden Gavel, the auction house that April worked and trained at.

Entering the spacious building, with items from seemingly every era, genre, and region, a bell rang. The closed sign hung over the door, as the auction house closed by 7 pm, not to mention the fact that Antonio didn't want strangers viewing he and April's training sessions. However Antonio was nowhere to be found.

Walking deeper into the Golden Gavel April yelled "Antonio? Antonio?". After a few moments there was a loud crash in the back room and April instinctively ran in its direction. Rushing into the back, April found Antonio cursing himself for dropping a rather large vase, which originated from the Persian Empire, and dating back to 400 BC.

Quite angry, Antonio said in his Italian accent "2500 years old!!! Priceless April.... For all we know it could have been captured by Alexander the Great, or sat in the 100 Columned Hall of Xerxes!!". Remembering that April was late, Antonio focused on April and said "And where have you been!".

Ignoring the question, April turned towards Xiao and said "This is my friend Xiao... I met her on the freeway.... She's a dragon.... And she was being hunted by these lion-humanoid things, who were working for another dragon named Daggoth...".

With that, Antonio's whole demeanor changed, as he focused on Xiao and outstretched his hand, saying "Xiao.... Lovely to meet you! I'm Antonio..... I'm looking after April's training. You're a dragon she says? I have to say that you're quite rare then.... In this realm anyway....".

Xia followed April quietly into her car. Xia said nothing, entranced by the gold and not even aware of it. She felt a strong tug in the back of her mind, the dragon being within her, bringing her back from the brink.

"Oh, sorry. Let's go then..." Xiao quickly pocketed the coin, getting her old self back. She wondered what was this odd sensation, this mental slip when she looked at the coin. She said little else as they drove away, simply adjusting her seat to fit her taller frame into the car. Xiao periodically checking her moped on the roof.

They arrived at the auction house and Xia left her moped on the car for now. "Hello, Mr. Antonio." Xia responded to being addressed with a respectful bow and clasped hands. It seemed overnight she and April had become companions, and that this person was someone she trusted to be privy to their secrets.

"I am... a half dragon, actually. My mother tells me she met a strange, handsome man on a stormy night... That man eventually became my father, but quickly disappeared when I was born... the man mother suspected to be dragon. I have also noted April here is not entirely human- there is something in her scent that puts her above normal humans." She said, though looking slightly apologetic once she realized what she said. After quite some time around April, Xia identified April by smell as much as face. "...Er, not that it's a bad smell or anything..." She found her hand wandering back to the coin in her pocket again, and she was unaware of it. It was Dragons' Greed, and Xia was being affected by it, being a young dragon without any of her kind's guidance.

((I think we can conclude it here for now. pick up in a new thread.))