A Discovery of Practical Coincidence (Private/Haven)

It was a bizarre night Delillah discovered. Her glorious form was perched atop one of the various palace towers that stretched into the midnight sky. The clouds were grey and distant allowing the moonlight to illuminate the entire  village beyond the palace. The wind blew harshly at such extreme heights and she gripped the stone beneath her claws even tighter as she watched the peasants wander along the midnight market. Her nostrils flared as she took in the various scents coming of the lively market front the castle. The midnight market was a special market that occurred once a month within the night of the brightest moon, rare products were sold among the stalls. Many selling spices from other lands or exclusive armour, nothing she particularly cared for, none except for the weapon stalls. Even from the highest point of the Palace could she see the silver and gold shining weapons displayed far beneath her. They called for her like candy to a hatchling. Nevertheless, she wasn't particularly seeking new weapons, no she would rather find her usual blacksmith and get her beloved dagger sharpened and polished. She would never leave the dagger with another blacksmith for it had simply to much meaning, being the only example ever made besides its twin blade that her brother carried around with him.  For now, however, she could wait. The cool air was far to relaxing that she would want to leave immediately making her remain for another few minutes before she rolled her head and shoulder and, elegantly as ever, pushed of the roof's edge. She fell for a few seconds before she snapped her wings open, catching flight immediately.

She descended fast into the secret streets of Schveki, sailing and manoeuvring through the buildings effortlessly. She didn't believe that there was anyone who knew the streets better than she did, even if she took the Skygger passages more commonly than the public streets. Delillah Delacroix had no care whether she was seen flying from the castle towers. Majority of the villagers knew that it was her, since for a greater part they only saw a shadow pass above them and that is all she ever was to them. A silent and lethal shadow that murdered for the sake of her enjoyment. If the guards saw her they would say nothing, they either feared her or Lord Oculus to such a great extent that it sealed their incompetent snouts shut.

Entering a bigger street she flared her wings and dropped to the ground, returning her dark blue wings to her lean frame. She strode delightfully into the weaponry section while at the same time she would allow her matt black scales to roll backwards, twist and reveal their glossy and dazzling obsidian side underneath. They replaced the matt scales like a mechanic wave starting from her snout down along her neck and wings, to the beginning of her tail where her flattened spikes began. Knowing her destination she strode confidently towards the blacksmith, dragons partially jumping out of her way. The blacksmith was old, or rather ancient, but still had enough spark and skill to show continuously satisfying work with her weapons. He smiled when he saw her and she answered in her common smirk. "Malec. It is always a pleasure" she spoke, her tone somewhat warm with her friend. "As it is mine Croix, now come come let me see your dagger. I am sure it requires some treatment" She handed him the dagger and he began to scold her for not looking after it properly even though he knew she attempted her best at doing so. "Shush Malec. Go to work." She said, in a nearly commanding tone. "Very well, do you wish to hear tales of your brother Darek while I work?" She chuckled at that and shook her head urging him to carry on. She continued to stand dominantly in the market street, watching him intently as he worked. "I have heard enough of that fool" She stated, waiting and soon, and to her dismay, the ancient dragon began his familiar rant.

Well. Tonight was a rather interesting one. Haven had the privilege to attend the dark market, placing soldiers along each of the stalls, making sure a thief wouldn't get away with some of the blacksmith's greatest builds, or even food. He was made well aware that this market would be special, and in the past, thieves had gotten away with a fortune of objects. Now that he was King, things were going to change. His guards were allowed to roam while they were on guard, to shop for themselves and by all means rain some hate on the ones that tried to sneak a belonging away into the night. He walked down the streets, his presence bringing chills down some dragon's spines, one sight of the King would make unknown thieves scatter. The presence of the King tonight spread among the market like a raging fire, the dragons of the stalls praising the heavens to be protected from the lowlifes. He walked into a cavern that was well lit with many candles. He had three guards with him, and they were struck back with the smell of burning flesh, yet it made Haven's stomach growl with lust for the dragon meat. He had heard that this particular blacksmith had a troubling incident with a thief that tried to get away. Instead, the lowlife was trapped between two hot irons, inevitably not going to get away. The blacksmith was a gray dragon, along with his daughter who bravely held the irons to the thief's sides. It seemed like the thief had stopped struggling, blood oozing from where the irons touched his now melted scales. The thief was a larger dragon, much more muscly than a normal thief.

A thief for the most wonderful night." Haven said, giving a tisk of his tongue. He licked his lips, the smell of blood filling his mouth. Metallic and salty. "It's a shame that you got away with stealing last year. You must pay for your sins. I will not have thieves in this market. Not again, not ever." He flicked his tail and the guards grabbed the now roaring dragon. They struggled getting the large dragon out of the door before Haven intervened, the dragon was only to his lower neck. His talons wrapped around the dragon's skull, looking into the eyes of the thief. His talons sunk into the flesh that was located underneath and between the thieves' jaw. His talons sunk up into the mouth of the dragon, slicing his tongue away, the screams of the dragon nearly rattled his own brain. The skin was like butter to his talons, easily slicing through. He started to pull his arms away from each other, snapping the middle of the lower jaw bone in half with a quick motion, leaving the dragon with a bloody and split open lower jaw, quite a site to see. The dragon was now in so much pain not a peep escaped his forever open and quite nauseating dangling mouth. The tongue wiggled and flopped as it hit the ground with a splat, Haven gazing at the dragon with less interest than looking at a disgusting bug. He hadn't taken his eyes from the thieves' the whole time he was doing this, an eerie silence to his actions. "Get him out of my sight." He told the guards, and they picked up the limp body of the dragon who's mouth was overly bleeding and drug him to the castle, to let him rot in the dungeon for the rest of his days.

Haven cleaned his hands with a large towel that was given to him by the blacksmith and his hatchling, thanking him for his service. He would simply raise his hand in a dismissive manner, "As King, I want to keep my dragons safe. From all kinds of danger." Haven finally stepped out from the cavern, giving the bloody rag to one of his guards. His scales lit up brilliantly as the moonlight hit them, giving the walls a purple hue. His authoritative gaze swept around the busy street, dragons had gather around them, hearing the cries of the dragon that was dragged away, eyes switching from him to the thief and back. The commotion was heard, rather vividly from other dragons, and that was good. No thief that lay eyes on the dragon that had it's jaw broken and tongue ripped out, would steal again this night. There was a blacksmith on the other side of this cavern location, and there stood a dragoness with quite the scales. He remembered her from his Coronation. He walked up, "Delillah, correct?" He asked, suddenly, his wings slightly forward, his manner of royalty popping out, "Please correct me if I'm wrong, but not one dragon should ever forget your elegant scales."

Delillah was still engaged in the conversation with the blacksmith when the news of the Xoyan King’s arrival rushed trough the crowd like wildfire. For a second she remembered the last time she had seen him at his coronation and the brief conversation they had. She’d left as soon as the mage had appeared, disgusted by the use of magic. She awoke from her flashback when Malec called her “Your dagger is done. As good as new” he stated proudly, and indeed the specimen was as fatal looking as ever. She was about to return it to her side when the older draconiforme jumped excitedly “Ah hold up my dear, I have something in the back for yo-“ his words were cut short by a scale curling scream, making a delightful shiver crawl down her back. The immense agony within the scream was greedily absorbed by Delillah and she looked at the blacksmith with a certain glittering within her silver eyes. However, he was staring in shock into the direction of the scream. The sound stilled yet appeared to remain echoing of the building walls, returning and continuously sounding like a song to her.

She joined the others in her curiosity and looked into the direction. It was not often that she heard such a scream coming from any dragon not within the dungeons and it was this that peaked her curiosity. Her questions were quickly answered as another whisper spread through the peasantry. “The King” and “Thief” was all it took for her to have enough of a satisfied explanation. Still she couldn’t help but chuckle at his open display of bloodlust. Not that she minded it, quite the opposite. It made her accept him a little more as ‘King’.

In any case, Delillah returned her attention to the blacksmith “What were you about to say?” His reaction was immediate and he snapped back to the dagger in his claws. Seating himself on his back haunches he reached into his cart and produced forth another ruby no bigger than a small pebble. She flicked her tail in delight, and softened her gaze for mere seconds, long enough for him to see her gratefulness. “Malec you always bare such beautiful gifts” he shook his head as he began his work of placing the ruby into the hilt of her dagger. “It is simply to make sure that I do not wind up under the mercy of this blade” he joked. She was about to return his remark when her name was uttered.

Her apathetic facial expression returned faster than she could blink, but allowed herself a smirk as she recognized the source of the voice. Haven. She turned her head and looked up at him. Listening to him she herself held her head a little higher, the smirk still present upon her snout. She chuckled as answer to his comment “Haven” she greeted, his name rolling slowly off her tongue  “I was unaware that our Emperor  owned such a charming tongue” She mused. She felt the blacksmith behind her struggle to bow, what a dramatic old draconiform he was. She knew he had no issues with his legs, yet he did have issues with bowing or rather dragons with superior power. She did not concern herself with bowing, if he cared then he was welcome to voice it, but she would not burden herself with listening to such superfluous details, and after all the draconiform towering over her may call himself King, but she was still to be convinced of as much. Her toxic gaze flickered up to him, the scent of blood lingering upon him rose into the air and wrapped itself around her “And am I correct to presume that you are enjoying yourself tonight?" She inquired, evidently knowing the answer. "You should have left the body, it would have served as a necessary reminder for this feeble folk.” She stated absent minded yet still with a sly smile, her attention having returned to the dagger she now took from the blacksmith. She inspected it quickly before sheathing it at her side.

Haven dipped his head to the blacksmith, some hatchlings running up to him, tugging at his tail and talons. Haven gave a chuckle, lifting his right foot, a hatchling biting his talon, "Maybe one day you'll make a great warrior." He said, gently. He placed the dragonet back onto the ground, the one that was crawling on his tail tumbling into Haven's back leg.Their mother screeching in fear as she realized what her hatchlings were doing... And to him. He gazed down at them with soft eyes, and for a moment, he kept himself still. The mother hurriedly ushered them away, almost repenting for a sin she never committed. His gaze fell on Delillah once again, his eyes still soft, before hardening to his cold and emotionless ways. He looked around the blacksmith's store, or hut as the female spoke. He sighed, picking up a rather large sword that was obsidian with ruby carvings. He handed it to the dragon behind the counter, dropping a huge sack of golden coins, they clanked together as they spilled out onto the counter. Haven gave a wink, pointing to the sword and exchanging some words.

"I don't think so." He finally said as he purchased the sword. His guards stood outside, "I wound't risk a hatchling to see the body dangling from the roof. But, I was thinking about it. If the rumors are true, the thieves in this part of the kingdom spread wisdom when a powerful entity is near by." He gave a dashing grin, some of his golden scales glittering as he fully turned his body toward the female. "Tonight has been splendid, thank you for asking. Even though the blacksmith and his daughter have to clean up such a mess... Blood stains you know." He commented, knowing that Delillah already knew that. "Delillah, I have been wanting to talk to you since the... The coronation. Now, it was rude of me to be so hostile to such a beautiful dragoness such as yourself. I know you've been plenty busy with that new Skygger tryouts." Have bumped wings with the female, softly, his eyes trailing down her elegant scales, it always fascinated him that her scales would shift and remove the dull colors to bright and polished.

Some guards headed up the road, poking their heads into each hut before finding Haven.
"Haven, sir!" Said a guard frantically, bowing as quickly as the other bowed. Haven raised an eye ridge, looking down his snout at the guards. These were village guards, lesser beings than his Royal Guards. He opened his mouth to say something before recognizing one.
"Ah, Sapphire. It is a pleasure to meet you." A dragoness with dark blue scales looked up, and with a shock, her eyes displayed that she was... Blind. She nodded softly, "Greetings, your Highness." She said, loud and clear. They both turned in unison and marched off. Haven chuckled, "I found that dragoness along the outskirts of the Rouge territory. A small little thing, those savage Rogues just leaving their young to fend for themselves... It's horrible. She was blinded by a cobra that tried to eat her." He gave a low growl, "That is why rogues are never coming into the Xoyan territory again. Such fools to establish a village here. Haven cleared his throat, "Delillah, may I offer a stride through this gorgeous night with me?"

She was silent and utterly still as she perceived what was occurring. The sudden shrieks of enjoyment from the hatchlings running up to Haven made her take a step back. Delillah watched as the hatchlings fooled around his legs, playing tag and other games. She listened to him talking to one of them and she heard a softness to his voice that matched his unusual gentle facial expression. It was a rare sight that made her slightly uncomfortable. This King of the Xoyans was displaying a side that she hadn’t seen before and it made her question him. But she was not about to change her mind about him for she knew the vicious brute he could be. Delillah was simply not one for affection, especially not when it came to hatchlings, at least not under the public eye. Regardless, her natural instincts were to scold the mother for letting her children so close to Haven to be so reckless, but something, perhaps the image of him welcoming them so warmly, kept her from doing so. Instead she scolded herself. She had never allowed herself to be open for feelings such as sympathy and kindness, never had any desire to feel such things. And she was not about to start now, whether Haven did was none of her interest and she had no issue with whether he did.

As Haven began to wander around the store she lowered herself into a more comfortable seating position, her piercing white orbs following his movement in a lazy matter. She listened to his paltry excuse and allowed him to leave the store alone before Malec ushered her outside to follow him. She hit him lightly with her tail in a silent goodbye before she left to join Haven, continuously listening to him. The guards looked at her with something she would recognise as amusement as they identified her. She knew his guards personally, quite the draconiforms to train with she had to be honest. Her attention snapped back to him as he mentioned rogues and that they would never make an appearance here again. She nodded in support, but already made a mental notice for herself to go for a little hunt as soon as she could. While Haven spoke of this dream with a sense of self-assured confidence, she knew that there would always be rogues coming into their lands, and she also knew that she would be the one to make sure they wouldn’t leave. In any case, Haven continued on. She nodded and shook her head occasionally, the shake of her head was often so INDECISIVELY that it would most likely have gone unnoticed. When the golden hued brute next to bumped her wing she was glad for the fact that they were in public otherwise she might have let a short smile pass her snout. She caught his gaze down her frame and smirked in amusement.

Once again she meant to make a comment to him about his charming tongue when a pair of town guards appeared. Delillah remained silent, ignoring the pair until Haven began talking to one. She turned her head and a sort of clicking sound escaped her snout as she saw that the dragoness was indeed blind. While they left Delillah watched them with a risen eye-ridge, Haven continuing another story. She didn’t mind him being so loquacious, it worked for her since she was never much of a chatty dragoness herself. Yet the brute next  to her spoke of rescuing a blind rogue hatchling.  Disbelief layered her eyes as she looked ahead, beginning to walk away from the store. She halted and twisted her long neck so she could look back at him and his guards, her tail slithering slowly behind her “I agree. Rogues are a messy business. I am unaware about you, but for some reason I find immense amusement in.. well making sure they do not set foot out of these lands again.” a smirk slid upon her snout knowing very well the joy he shared in the act. Otherwise she would question how exactly he became the Xoyan King. Returning to his ultimate question she turned around further so he had full side view onto her stealthy frame, of course she stood in such a way that the moonlight reflected off of her “I will gladly” she answered, but rose a polished claw in a manner of stopping his next words. She strode down towards the king and faced him, a dare glittering in her eyes “Although, only under the condition that you are capable of impressing me. I am sure the Xoyan King can come up with something” She sang in slight challenge as she waited for him.

Haven snorted in the slightest, his wings open and pointed forward, his demeanor changing from friendly to rather belligerent. His talons sunk to the floor as his eyes blossomed with color, repeating its pattern, even appearing of that of a heartbeat. He stood still as the female came before him, sensing her teasing mannerism, Haven rose a crested eyebrow. Even the gem embedded within his chest started a faint glow of color. The tip of his tail skimmed the ground, his neck arching back to get an even better look at the confident female that spoke with that audacious tone. Fluttering his wings, dragons squeezed past him in the rather narrow road, his figure filling up most of the space of the traffic of dragons. At that, dragons nodded in respect and quickly walked away from his attitude, one that filled the little amount of space that he held between himself and the female.
"Why yes of course," Haven spoke, his voice serene, "I would entertain you to the best of my capabilities." His voice flowed like water, he inched closer, his breath soft against the scales behind her ear, "If you'll let me." Haven added, his eyes locking with hers. The moon was high in the sky, and his shadow loomed over the ground, his lingering eyes traveling from her face down her neck, then his orbs moved away to the street, pulling his head back, he became his full size once again. He chuckled in amusement, the mask he wore in front of his subjects, but maybe not in front of this dragoness. A churr could be heard from within his chest, his wings quietly folding to his side.
“I hope you know… Acting like a war crazy savage in front of my subjects would not give me a very good reputation.” He gently turned her back to face the lit up street, instead of him with the tip of his wing, gentle, his wingtalon gently grazing her shoulder blade. The stars twinkled in the distance as they started to walk down the street, the dragons before them making way, the sight of the golden and colour of night King made heads swivel. His large, confident stride carried them toward the heart of the city. Guards passed, bowing and returning to their posts, laughter could be heard, inside huts and outside. Haven couldn’t help but feel a smile tug at his lips, his kingdom was happy at the moment, something that he had dreamed of since Gemini had disappeared from the throne. He sensed the dragoness’ hesitation from his actions toward the dragonets, but couldn’t help but chuckle. Those were future guards, warriors, farmers, and the next generation of the Xoyans. If anything, protecting them was the main goal. War was far from the kingdom, and good thing it was.
Some young adult Xoyans came barreling out of a side street, immediately to smack into the side of the King. Haven “oofed” his step being thrown out of pattern, but out of habit, he planted his legs, opening his wings, lips curling up into a roar. They snarled, latching onto his side like annoying raptors. Their teeth sunk into his scales, Haven huffing in disappointment. He swiped at the ones that slammed into him, their bodies flying backward, “What is this!?” He commanded, advancing toward the dragons hiding within the shadows. “You dare think you’re a match for me?”


(Sorry short post agh)

(SORRY FOR THE LATE POST OMG)

Delillah wore the smirk naturally and watched him move. No muscle moved uncontrolled and while his voice slithered into her eardrums and his breath grazed the neck behind her ear, she noticed how he was still fully aware of everything occurring around them. It was to her surprise that she noted that they were not as different as initially thought, for a split second it occurred to her that there might just be more to discover about this brute than from what she could read. Curious. She let him guide her and listened to him speak. There was no sound from where her claws touched the sound, while the earth rumbled and spoke while he strode, it was hushed at where she made contact. He loomed over her and wore his confidence like a weapon and it for sure was one. She would know. She increased her stride length so that she could keep up with the larger male feeling the dagger and her side. It was a cool comforter and she enjoyed its present at her side. Walking down the street she observed the amount of heads turning, however, as much as they wished they did not dare look at the female striding along the kings side for too long. Years of respect, let us call it that, kept them restrained from peeking longer than required. When Haven spoke again she could not help but chuckle “A savage? Is that truly what you consider me as? Or what you believe your folk believes me to be?” She gave him a heartsbeat before allowing her silver tongue to work again, she spoke with ease and there was a certain calmness that followed each word “You misunderstand my existence then. You see” her silver white eyes passed him before she extended a claw out to the city “this…peace in this city is always only temporary. I see the love your eyes cannot contain when you gaze around, I see it right now” Again she laid her eyes on him, held his gaze, and closed the distance the next words more hushed than the ones before, they were as if cursed words rolling of her tongue “But dragons of our kind are prone to corrupt and vicious thoughts.” She stepped back a sly smile upon her snout “ The difference between our tribe and others is that we embrace the thoughts, while others fight them. That is why we require certain draconiforms to contain these thoughts and ideas, not destroy, no, but keep them under control. The worst and most dangerous are not present because of one thing and that is fear. It is this that keeps them away, but never far enough.” She shook her neck, the scales loosening slightly in comfort. “Rumours and whispers is all we require, but they can never fade. That is the reason why I will never be a savage and why we will always require“ her words were cut off by sudden movement.

A wing slammed into her side and she was thrown to the side. Flying into some trespassing dragons she stood and a hiss escaped her snout. She stood looked at the trespassers “Leave” she rumbled and looked over at Haven, faintly hearing the rest dragons scramble to get away. She laughed at the scene. There were two male dragons hooked onto Haven while another stood beside him watching, thinking. What a fool. If they planned to harm Haven they could have at least planned it through. She started for them, just before she would have hit Haven she sprang. She used havens wings to get more air and threw a dagger at one of the male’s head, while she hit another male with her spiked tail. The spines struck his face and threw him of Haven, the spines further shredding his face and causing more pain, if he wasn’t already dead like his companion. She landed on the other side of Haven and grabbed the dagger out of the other male’s head, throwing it at the last standing dragon. It struck his leg and he sunk to the floor, she spun and allowed him to become acquainted with her already bloody tail. He lay still, yet looking closer she saw his chest move.
Delillah stretched her wings and looked at Haven in curiosity. Her breath was quickened, but calming now. Her eyes glistening and while her face said nothing, the joy and entertainment was not hidden in her eyes. There was a groan of another fallen dragon and she laid those lively eyes on him as he began to rise again. She flattened the spikes on her tail “Well?” she sang. If he challenged her again then she would wait for Haven. She was not here alone after all.