RP:Hearts of Darkness

Part of the Rise of Darkness Arc

Summary: Lukas and Zha'leeah appear in Kelay Tavern looking for the Dragon's dinner. Unfortunately, what she's looking to eat can't be bought from Mesthak.

Characters: Lukas, Zhaleeah, Sadie, Roldan, Kattanos

Location: Kelay, The Kelay Tavern

A thunderous clap of wings can be heard moments before the earth shakes, and the foundations of the tavern rattle despite their sturdy grounding. To even those of average intelligence the conclusion is obvious; A dragon has landed, and a rather large one it seems. The idiotic? Well, they're only left to wallow in their ignorance.

Lukas 's boot meets the door with merciless force, a shower of wooden shards spraying in every which way; the recoiling of his leg coming with a sickening snapping straight of his knee. His landing, from the gargantuan beast, had come soundlessly, despite his armatura apparent - his steps though were a different matter, confident, poised and malicious something akin to a war drum.

Zha'leeah enters in the wake of Lukas' careless destruction of the door, a glimpse perhaps caught of a immense black dragon shifting into a human form. Contrarily to Lukas' confident, malicious boot stomping, Zha's confidence is in the svelt gait, her maliciousness cold and calm. Her path follows his closely while a cursory glance is spared for the patrons, "Dinner?" The dragon inquires to Lukas, an undertone hinting that she probably doesn't mean the sit down and order kind of dinner.

Lukas pulls to one side of 'Leah, allowing her to better view the culinary delights before her, so to speak; his gaze, though, stopping nowhere in particular. "Heh. Maybe.", soft step melts into solid passage, his way is roughly taken, jostling shoulder and usurping patron with tell-tale and

Zha'leeah lets free a small, subdued chuckle, the woman matching Lukas' arrogance with a haughty jut of her chin upwards, "The woman are more tender, but the men have better flavour, you know." Stepping around to stand behind the man, she leans over to lick his cheek in a slow, deliberate manner, "Mmm."

Lukas sets to firm stance, bending at the crux of his knees and parting his legs shoulder-width. A finger, salacious in mien, runs the length of the hilt that juts above his right shoulder. Despite the apparent reticence of his tone, there is a heavy weight of promise vested in his words, "Whatever. Just pick one and let's get this done. It isn't a buffet." Her intimate gesture is met with a curious indifference, an eyebrow jerking upright the merest of moments before falling easily into that avaricious façade that normally resides on his features.

Zha'leeah sets free another mild chuckle, grey eyes scanning the tavern with careful consideration as she rebutts, "What is a buffet for you would be a mere single sitting for me outside of this human skin." There's a bit of disdain at the mention of being in human form, and in general for the creatures themselves, making it a rather curious thing that she's let herself be tamed by this man, "Ah." She finally decides, point a taloned finger at Morvious, "That one should do, I think."

Lukas rolls his shoulders, his gloved left hand sliding upward to release the verpine length of his weapon; the surreptitious whisper of tired leather seeping through whatever din remains amidst the tavern. Then Morvious is gone. "So, seems these birdies got wings, dearest. Care to test your luck again?"

Zha'leeah releases a dramatic sigh, though an impassive expression makes it difficult to believe that she's fazed very much at all. In fact, her demeanour seems to suggest that one meatbag's just about as good as the next as far as she's concerned today, "Let's see then..." Her voice trails off, and slate grey eyes sweep over the expanse of the tavern once more.

Sadie shoulders open the tavern door wide enough to slip her svelte figure through the threshold, and the moment she's treading upon wooden flooring, her right hand slips from the door knob and smoothly falls into the pockets of a fashionable, and rather expensive, looking blazer. As per the usual, blue eyes scan over the faces gathered in the tavern, searching for familiarity amongst the sea of strangers. The moment Roldan is seen, a subtle smirk draws up her lips and her leisurely gait carries her to his side. "Still in a sour mood?" She poises, a single brow quirking curiously and hanging there a second or two before her gaze travels towards the grump of a barback. "Water if you don't mind."

Lukas is becoming increasingly aggravated at the occurring procrastination and lack of action, his mind kicking into overdrive as the sordid mixes of pheromones and chemicals ebb and flow through the corrupt canals of his perceptions, "What about this one?", the well dressed one is pointed to, a lady of some sort, perhaps, easy prey, maybe, "Surely we can't taste that different, besides she's wrapped up all pretty."

Zha'leeah gives Sadie a quick once-over, then a small nod of approval follows, "She should do, though I really /shall/ have to teach you the difference in taste one of these days." A gesture which could almost be considered affectionate follows, as the talons of her right hand gently brush under Lukas' chin and across the side of his neck, "Go on then," She purrs, "I just /know/ you want the first strike."

Sadie is an aware woman, but obviously it needn't take a genius to figure out something was not right with Lukas and Zahleeha. The man had brandished his weapon for crying out loud, and the dragoness was fawning all over him. However, to keep from drawing attention to herself, her gaze turns towards Roldan and the majority of her attention lingers on him while from her peripherals, she tunes into the couples words. Subtle movements that would register as her right hand simply falling from her pocket to station itself on her hip, in all actuality, is her ensuring that she is indeed armed. A dagger small enough to be concealed would surely be enough if the need arose. But for now, she complete ignores the strange couple so that she can return the smile give by the Sheriff. "Quite happy to hear you are no longer in a foul mood. And there is no need to apologize; you on bad days is nothing compared to me." That smile twists slightly and curves into something more sinister and yet completely innocent at the same time.

Roldan is a trained soldier. What's more, he's a soldier who often makes himself hated. He loosens Judgment in its sheath, ready. "Oh, I can be much worse. One might ask my current prisoner, I suppose." A flick of his eyes lets Sadie know that he is aware of the possible situation.

Zha'leeah's arms cross lightly behind her back, the dragoness' lips moving with the subtle whisper of words of power. Magic is afoot! However the effect is not immediately obvious as a support spell - an increase to Lukas' dexterity and speed, in fact - is employed rather than an offensive one. The smile that follows is faint and sinister as she steps forth on a somewhat casually paced path towards Sadie, the woman circling around to take advantage of a blind spot while the other woman is distracted with Lukas.

Lukas recedes from the recesses of civility that brought him to hold conversation, the youth shrinking into the depths of his mind and soul; dropped down into the myriad of murder and chaos that tainted his entirety. A shrill shriek of metal is all that would sound his advance, the spiked length of the footwear flashing out to strike his blade's hilt with heel - the celerity added by 'Leah's arcane intervention sending the fighter across the room in a literal flash. Faster than the eye can surely catch he is by her side, gone beyond her, even, his weapon steadfast and horizontal, serrated edge on course to literally sever the woman in twain.

Syrus glances up from his conversation with the lich once again, but this time to places his eyes momentarily upon the dragoness whom just entered. A smile crosses his bearded face as a nod is offered to her. Once again the elder dragon returns to the undead creature, continuing their debate on Life and Unlife.

Sadie merely nods knowingly towards Roldan, and thereafter offers him a strangely apologetic expression. However, whatever the reason for the sudden change in her chipper attitude -for the most part- isn't explained, and then it all starts with a murmured hum, low and nearly inaudible; any changes in pitch or tone were completely hidden within the low octave sound. And while this sound of music plays her vocal cords, her right hand casually unlatches the leather band that held her dagger within its sheath. The moment Lukas 'disappears', that grumble of a hum grows louder and is granted a more whimsical scale and soon her lips part to allow the pent music to escape from her throat in wordless notes, all shaking with perfect vibrato. That water glass and accompanying pitcher Mesthak had settled beside the woman begins to tremor as if something as simple as heavy weighted steps were causing the docile liquid to quiver. However, the water there in those containers aren't left at benign shakes and soon all at once the water is shot from their compartments and, once Sadie's dagger is slipped from its sheath, composes itself around the blade and freezes to extend the length of the weapon. To ensure that the ice now formed around her weapon will endure the brunt force of any physical attack, she never once stops singing. And as if by sheer luck alone, she angles her blade diagonally in front of her with the intent to raise it higher, but the planned action is no longer needed for at that moment, Lukas' serrated blade meets and clashes against her ice composed one and the sound upon impact reverberates through the tavern as if it were metal on metal.

Roldan draws his sword at the sound of metal. Judgment is a truly beautiful blade; over three feet of shimmering steel, ending in a dragon-shaped hilt. The pommel, a snarling dragon's head, clasps a red scale in its teeth. From the inherant magic in that scale, the sword draws the properties of the dragon from which it was taken; a thin layer of flame coats the blade, the only hint of the deadly sword's magic. Falling into his routine, the knight slams down the visor of his helmet, and takes up the dragonbone shield from its place on the floor next to him. Ignoring the singing as best he might, Roldan swings at Lukas without warning. Judgment leaves a trail of fire in the air as it hacks at the human's lower back, jerking away to just as swiftly strike again, this time in a thrust at the back of the man's knee. Where blade meets flesh, or even clothing, flames will spread.

Zha'leeah cannot be said to lacking in observational skills, slate eyes taking note of the water becoming a sheath of ice at the command of the mermaid's melodic voice. A genuinely contented sigh escapes as the dragoness steps up behind Sadie whilst the echoing clash of steel and ice ring. A mere moment is spent in thought - a rapidfire decision between primal desire and practical application which ends one hand shooting out, fingers splayed and ready to clench around the other woman's throat and choke out the notes of her song. Not as impatient as her companion, the intent is not to immediately crush windpipe and spine for that would be quite lacking in fun, and one positively /must/ play with their dinner a bit before consumption, thus leaving the possible grip to be firm but not deadly; enough to strangle out any sound. For the moment Roldan is ignored and in a rather unconcerned manner at that.

Sadie is a strong woman and that alone is the only reason she is able to keep a sturdy grip around the hilt of her now-sword to ensure that the deadly, icy blade now attached to it doesn't sway her way. Thankfully, Roldan has stepped in to take Lukas' attention for the mean time? Anywho, the moment the sheriff moves to intercept the man, Zhaleeah's hand is felt curling 'round the slender column of the mermaid's throat. Ah, now here's the rub; Sadie might be strong, but she wasn't strong enough to deny the dragoness what she wanted. Whimsical, perfectly pitched notes quickly die off into a gurgle-gasp-coughing mix and, while the ice blade still remains, the extended sword quickly begins to melt, dropping continuous droplets of water from the slowly blunting tip. While the now melting sword would be useful for nothing but bruising someone's flesh with a well placed jab, it didn't mean the mermaid was completely out of luck. Left leg lifts as she drops the slowly decomposing sword on the ground so that her hands could in turn settle on or at least reach for 'Leeah's shoulder; the motion would be portrayed simply as though Sadie meant to ram her knee into the woman's diaphragm with the intent to rob her of her breath. However, left arm rises subtly slower than the right, but the moment her knee has risen to a easily accessible height, her lagging left hand shoots towards her ankle and quickly procures a small blade of four inches in length- seven if you include the hilt. Serrated blade is then thrust towards the woman's tender spot just on the underside of her jaw. Her movements are quick and sharp and calmly executed despite the slowly growing burn in her lungs.

Roldan gives Lukas a shove, sending him off into a table nearby. Confident that the other human is disposed of for the moment, the knight spins away to face the new threat, again putting the enemy between himself and Sadie. But this time, he makes his presence known with a wordless roar, the sound torn from his lungs as he aims a short, controlled jab at the female's kidneys, the flames of his sword flaring up brighter still (a fact which probably does not help Sadie's ice-sword any). Far from finished, the sheriff aims a wicked, hammering blow with the hard bottom edge of his shield, meaning to catch the dragon in the thigh, easily capable of stunning the limb or even breaking the bone. Roldan, now fully immersed in the deadly dance, allows his momentum to carry him forward, nearly touching his foe. From there, it is only a small movement to slam his booted heel toward Zhaleeah's instep, while Judgment waits to catch the woman, should she fall.

Ahh, a little jab to the underside of her throat isn't /nearly/ as distracting as a tri-attack from a secondary attacker. Zha'leeah's head cants sharply at Sadie's attempts to give her a new, avant-guarde piercing, the blade deflecting off the dragoness' jaw to leave a ragged gash past the underside of her ear. The ooze of ichor-like blood is almost immediate, however it too remains a lesser concern at the moment. Her fingers tighten slightly around the other woman's throat while simultaniously she's drawn closer for the express purpose of being a meat shield. This, by no means, ends in Sadie merely being ribboned up, of course, as the dragoness deftly dances backwards to narrowly avoid each strike, "Tsk! You creatures really are quite amusing in your careless manners. Do try not to cut up your friend! I really prefer my dinner to be more than mincemeat." Mocking laughter follows, and it seems the cruel saurian is enjoying this /far/ too much.

Sadie would growl in agitation is if it wasn't for 'Leeah's hand wrapped firmly 'round her throat. Instead, the woman's brows furrow deeply, and that blade in her hand gripping firmly in an upright position is quickly flipped so the point of it is directed downwards. Sadie manages a faint grunt of discomfort, having long since given up on attempting to continue her sing-song notes, as she's pulled closer to the dragoness and then strung along by an unrelenting leash. As they move, mean while, Sadie's wielding arm lifts a degree before slamming down, aiming now for the tender slip of flesh that rode along the curve where 'Leeah's neck joined her shoulder, the blade searching to slice through the woman's skin and serrate the sinew and nerves and veins that ran in an complex network; the mermaid hopes simply to discontinue the woman's usage of her choking hand. However this attack is executed only when Zhaleeah manages to avoid the second attack from Roldan, and should she miss that narrow strip of flesh, surely the collar bone would sever cleaning from the force jamming the knife downwards.

Roldan has no time to reply to the dragon, for Lukas returns to the fray. The other man slams into him, and the two exit the tavern swiftly, bowling over tables, chairs, and patrons as the tumble out the door.

Well, this is a bit of a dillema - a minor one, truly. Regardless, a third option is employed before forcible release can be had, and with a snap of her arm fingers release, throwing the mermaid away. However, the other woman is not without her reward, as the abrubt action drags the tip of blade across collarbone and shoulder before departing from the dragoness' flesh. A minor snap of bone indicates enough force remained to inflict a lesser break, though the pain is once more ingnored, though the corresponding arm, while still able to move, is slower, stiffer and the flesh twitching with the firing of nerves. Alas, t'is certainly one of the biggest disadvantages to taking human form, this vulnerability. A minor glance is thrown towards the outside where her companion now battles, then with a glib manner, Zha'leeah takes a moment to casually examine her talons before looking towards Sadie, "Really, quite a commendable effort. I /might/ be inclined to like you enough not to eat you, though I think Lukas would be a bit dissapointed." Oddly enough, those slate eyes show a hint of amusement at the thought of her companion being put out.

Sadie 's knees quickly buckle the moment her feet find purchase on the floor, and with her right leg bent at an acute angle with her foot placed against the wood grain of the ground, her left is extended diagonally out before her, creating a straight line and guaranteeing that her balance is stable as she pants heavily. With her left hand still wielding the knife, she lifts the appendage to her face so that she could wipe the back of her hand across her mouth as if blood lingered around her lips. "Perhaps Lukas should find some other play toy then?" She growls noxiously before daring to test her stability on her feet. A subtle stumble belays that she's still recovering from the extended period of time with no oxygen, and the unseen throb of pressure in her legs as well as behind her eyes informs her of an impending dose of coma should she not leave soon. The adrenalin pumping through her veins is enough to keep the pain of drying and itchy skin from her mind while blue eyes assess the dragoness. "I would certainly like it if you decided to -not- attempt to eat me again? Aye?" This time, the blonde's words are posed as if this whole fight was nothing more than a slight inconvenience.

Zha'leeah offers a shrug and a subtle twitch of pain to her lips, the dragoness eyeing the mermaid with mild thoughtfulness, "Oh, but what fun is there in that? Though I suppose he did choose you himself this time. How terrible for you that my choice left, isn't it? I really do prefer the taste of men, though women are a delightfully tender treat every so often, hm?" Her tone is bizarelly casual, as if she were discussing food preferences with a friend rather than someone she had been choking to death moments before. Something subtle seems to catch her eye, and with a manner lacking in any menace this time around, she approaches the other woman to lean closer and examine skin and take stock of the other's scent, "Oh, I /see/. Well, /your/ kind don't taste that good anyway." In her opinion, at least, "Lets be friends, hm? I'm sure it'll annoy Lukas /ever/ so much. It'll be adorable." ... Odd idea on what's adorable, that.

Sadie simply scoffs at Zhaleeah's preference in dinner selections, and dismisses the woman altogether long enough to re-sheathe her diver's knife as well as the completely melted sword that now lay as a dagger in a puddle of water. However, the moment the dragoness leans forward, Sadie's attention lands squarely on the encroaching woman and after a millisecond assessment of 'Leeah, the blonde leans back. "What the hell are you do-" A pause ensues long enough to allow a skeptical expression to brew within her features, and then: "I haven't the slightest clue as to what it is you're speaking about." The mermaid states, blue eyes narrowed dangerously on the dragoness. She wasn't keen to having her secret's spilled or even hinted at.

Zha'leeah's mirthful laughter follows, though quietly, and a smirk pulls lightly at her lips, "Dear how you're sensitive, I might /almost/ be convinced you're telling the truth. Sensitivity is such a common trait among /them/, you know." She speaks mainly of humans, though the general implication is present that most other non-dragons are included, "We're both not as we appear, dear girl, but the difference is that I simply do not care to conceal my true nature. T'is a bit whiffy in here, certainly, however a dragon's nose is rarely faulty. Well, perhaps except for those flame spewing morons. Quite a lot of soot up the nose, you know." Her lips curl up with a smile that's almost sultry, eyes carrying more of that tone as they narrow just slightly, "Our little secret. /Promise/. Besides, I can always just pin you down until it becomes obvious, hm?"

Kattanos is seated in his favorite shady chair in the corner of the tavern. When did he arrive and how did he get there unnoticed? That is his secret! For the moment, the striped feline seems to be watching the fighting females. Although his reasons for keeping an eye on them was mostly out of curiousity by what one of the brawlers mentioned.

Sadie finds herself laughing despite what her mind is currently screaming at her -Kill the woman, she knows too much as it is.- "Nothing will become obvious." Then, with her voice lowered just enough that only the close woman could hear, she adds with a simple, quipped, "You'll simply kill me. Dehydration is a powerful weapon." And then, as yet another angry throb rushes through her veins, webbing out to reach even her toes and finger-tips, her hand juts out to grip the rounded edge of the bar and slowly, beads of sweat glisten the skin of her forehead. Teeth gritted together tightly, and eyes clamped shut, a sharp hiss escapes her mouth and following on it's tail is: "I need to go." Shoving from the bar to force herself to regain her composure, it's a tactic not thoroughly thought through, and in the attempt to gain balance, she over-corrects herself and nearly careens into the pickle-loving, hip-shaking panda named Clyde. However, to avoid such a mishap, left foot falls in front of right, and a clock-wise rotation of her body allows her to spin past the bear and stumble to the wooden door. The collision isn't a silent one, but she doesn't linger much longer after that; she refused to allow anyone to help her on her way out. Once outside, she'd find a way to throw herself across the back of the mare tethered in waiting and she'd race all the way to the coast.

Zha'leeah murmurs quietly to Sadie as she makes her fumbling, yet successful, attempt to stand, "As much as humans seem to like their meat preserved, I rather don't." It's probably meant as a joking jab at the other woman, but being personable could hardly be considered the dragoness' strong point. Mild amusement shows in her expression as she watches the mermaid make it to the door and onwards to the outside, a silent promise made to herself to 'visit' the other woman at some point.