The Angel and the Dragon

[Oichi]

“Dragon”, spoke Oichi as she began her song. She song of a brave woman and a young maiden. She song of a boy who fearlessly stood up to a dragon and a man who sacrificed himself to save those he held dear. Her tale told of an adventure of four unlikely heroes and to most people this was just a song. However this was not just some simple song that rolled off the tong of this young bard. Like many of Oichi song’s this was and actual even that she witness and that she put to a tune and song it across all of Bern.

Even with the story’s poor ending as the fate of the man and the dragon still remained unknown the song had gain a bit of popularity. The maiden had earned a few coins for her voice and used the money to pay for her room. There was a good crowd tonight at the inn, but there was one man who seemed to catch Oichi attention. A man with a crimson bane in his hair.

[Drax]

A song from a fair maiden had caught Drax's attention when he was traveling through a town that he did not know exsisted. He heard many town folk talking about this "Song" of four heroes fighting off a Dragon with Red scales. Raising a brow, he went to where she was to preform, which was at an Inn. Walking in and taking off his Hood, he would take a seat in the back so he wasn's around the crowed, just behind them. A female came up to him and asked, "What will you be having today?" The manakete looked up at her and smiled while saying. "I'll have your hottest ale and some beef. I'm so hungry i could eat an Ox." The woman laughed a bit, but the sad part about the statement, he really was hungry enough he could eat an Ox. Whole if needed.

When the drink came, his hazel eyes locked onto the female as she was about to preform her talents for spiining and weaving a tale through the art of song. Only a few people knew that it was really true that she was singing about. With both their eyes locked onto each other, he would nod his head slowly as he would sip it. Placing a few coins on the table, the female would pick it up and pocket it as she walked away happy.

[Oichi]

As Oichi finished her song she was applauded by the locals for the brilliant singing voice. She exchanged some pleasantries and then walked over to the table which Drax was sitting. She did not know why, but this man intrigued her. There was something familiar about him, but she could not put her finger on it.

“Excuse me”, she spoke as she walked up to Drax. “Do you mind if I share this table with you”, she asked.

[Drax]

Smiling throughout the song, he would be one of the many that clapped at the end. Drax would watch as she made her way through the disbanding crowd towards him. The smile faded as he took another sip from his hot drink which was boiled Ale. But when she reached his table, he would stand up and tower over her as he bowed to her. Pulling a chair out for her he would then say to the bard.

"It be an honor to have such a talented maiden to share a table with a traveler such as myself." Deep in his mind, he wanted to ask her how she knew such detail's of the battle. But the questions were already answered by himself. 'She watched from far away. Yet she didn't make herself known, why? And if she was there, why would she come to the table that I'm sitting at? Didn't she see my human fa....no, she musten have for she would realized that the person she was singing about was the very person that pulled the chair out for her. Hm, this is going to be interesting night.'

[Oichi]

“Oh thank you”, spoke Oichi as she took a seat at Drax table. The maiden was a bit embarrassed from the cheers so a small blush crossed her face. “Let me give a proper introduction”, spoke Oichi as she looked at Drax. “My name is Oichi and I am a bard. Excuse me if this may sound rude, but I wanted to know if we have met before. Your face seems so familiar too me, but I can’t pin point where I saw it.

[Drax]

With drax now seated again. He took another sip and looked at the female sitting across from him. He would begin to speak to her. "Oichi is it? Interesting name, no doubt named by your mother.My name is Drax Leven. But as to your question that isn't rude at all, I shall answer it." Leaning closer to her so that she would be able to hear him whisper in her ear. "I'm the Dragon you just sang about my dear. So let me ask you, why were you watching me when I was angered by that group?" His hazel eyes stayed on her.

[Oichi]

It took a moment for Oichi to process what Drax was saying. Drax was obviously human in her eyes, but he just said he was a dragon. The two can’t possibly go together. Dragons are dragons and humans are humans. Dragons could not be humans because they were big and humans were small, and in this confusing ramble of thoughts it finally dawned on Oichi.

“Oh right”, spoke the maiden as she slammed her fist into her hand. “I remember now. You were with the maiden and her group before the dragon attacked. That was where I saw you.” Oichi had overlooked Drax words. After a momentary pause what Drax had said dawned on her. She remembered one of the stories her mother told her when she was young. A tale past down in whispers and dead legends.

“Fiery Dragon”, she spoke in a very low voice. The story of a man turning into a mighty dragon and burning down castles rushed to the front of her head. Her voice was no longer chipper or loud. It was low and wary. “So you are one of those dragons. One like the Fiery Dragon of old, a dragon with the ability to become human.” Oichi was starting to realize the situation she was in. Mark’s Town was a backwater place with traditions and stories far older than the ones circling around Bern. They remembered the legend and passed it down to their children. For them it was an old tale to warn children away from old fortresses and caution them of their greed. Oichi had no idea that such creatures had existed.

[Drax]

Drax placed his face into his hands when she thought he was the swordsman. Shaking his head until she said the name 'Fiery Dragon' which he thought she meant Fiery Death. His head came up from his hands after she said it and smiled a bit. "Not fiery Dragon, Fiery Death is what they called m....*clears throat* it be hard for me to tell you that I'm that Manakete. Since the tale is still told in this town, then that must mean that the statue is still around. If you come with me, I'll show you my true form. But I can't allow others to see this since I don't want people trying to hunt me down and kill me for honor and so on and so forth. If you trust me, then meet me at the south east portion of the village. Where I will show you what legends and tales only dream of to see." Standing back up, he would bow to Oichi. Leaving the Inn, he would head for the location that he told her to meet him.

[Oichi]

Oichi knew meeting him was a bad idea. She knew nothing would come of seeing Fiery Death. However her curiosity and her drive for a good tale drove her forward. The maiden talked to the inn keeper and told him that she would be back. She then went outside and mounted her horse. Rather than go straight there she rode a bit around the town first. She had a bad run with slavers earlier and did not want to run into them again on the road. After she was sure she was not followed she rode off to the destination that Drax had spoken of. She readied herself for whatever he was going to show her. She remembered seeing his dragon form during that black night, but in truth it was quite dark. Now she would get a chance to see it up close, or even better yet when he transformed.

[Drax]

Once hearing a horse approaching to his location, he would come out of the shadows still in human form. Taking out his Dragon stone from his pocket. Drax would look at it for a moment and took in a deep breath of air as the stone glowed brightly, lighting up the area that they were in, in a blinding light. Once the light died down, a loud thudding sound was heard and felt through the ground. The horse buckled a bit trying to run from what was going on, but the squire had a good grip on the reigns. Once Oichi was now able to see clearly, she saw the the red dragon standing before her looking down at her. His four wings stretched out a bit. Lowering his head so he didn't have to roar, he would begin to speak in his deep tone voice.

"Do not fear my child, for I will not harm you. I will ask again my question. Why were you watching me that night when the group attacked me? And how is it that you know so much about me when alot of this Country doesn't even remember much about my kind?" His hazel eyes were locked onto her waiting for her response.

[Oichi]

Oichi was scared that much was not needed to be said. Her face showed it and her voice said more. She thought she had prepared herself, but seeing a dragon up close was a lot scarier than she thought.

“I…I…I am a bard”, spoke Oichi her voice was cracked with fear. “It is a bards duty to tell the stories of men and women. If we see a struggle, or if we see a tragedy we are suppose to sing about it. We are suppose to let people know and to spread the words of both heroic deeds and great tragedies. As for your story”, she spoke as she gained control of her voice. “My mother “, spoke of you. “In Mark’s town there was even an old stature of you in it. The tale had been recorded in the village chronicles and song by bards. Mark’s Town holds all legends in high regards, or we use too.”

[Drax]

"Mark's Town....Ah, the first town that made a statue of Me. I'm surprised that the village stands still after the age's of time. So Bard of Mark's Town. What is it you wish to know?" Drax would transform back into his human form as the now 6'5 man lifts up his hood and shrouds his face in the darkness of it. But Oichi would see his eye shine from within the darkness watching her, not blinking as if waiting for something.

[Oichi]

“Well I would like to know how you came to roam Bern again. Since you are not dead one could only assume that something happened. For a good bit of time you were gone and suddenly you reappeared. I want to know why you disappeared how you came back, please”, spoke Oichi trying to be polite as possible. She knew of the rage of the Fiery Death. The stories spoke clearly of the fate of those who lack such respect. Not even their ash was said to be left.

[Drax]

"Everytime I 'Disappeared' was actually me sleeping for over 200 years in hope that the realm of Man would change their ways. But everytime I woke, my hopes were destroyed and so, I put fear into mankind so they would be able to see that their ways isn't a good one to travel upon. A long time ago, over 1,000 years...I fell in love with a sniper of a Castle on the country side of Bern. One night, her father paid a group of raiders to invade the castle and slay everyone in it. He left it and for that, my dear lovely wife Ms. Le'Voon was killed in the assault. Once the battle was over, I swore that if mankind wasn't going to change that I will help them make the choice by force by killing off most of the population. I went to a fortress that I had made when I first came to Bern 1,000 years prior. I fell asleep for a long time, only to be awaken by a Knight in seek of my treasure and my very Life. Where everyone thinks I fled to go back into my realm of my kind was actually rumors and false stories. I never left Bern. Now I see everything is going on and I've come to guide my Children back onto the propper path."

[Oichi]

“So the tales of your actions were wrong then”, spoke Oichi as she took in everything Drax said. “You were not destroying villages for simple plunder and greed, but rather trying to change the very nature of man. You aimed to make them learn through pain and suffering like a parent who disciplines there child. Then what was the reason for the statures”, asked Oichi curiously. “I don’t understand. Why make the humans build statures of you, or was that another misunderstanding.”