Demicora watched as the scene unfolded. It had been the moment the two tributes had been waiting for, but was it really worth their lives at this moment? Her eyes darted to her partner who seemed to have fear crowding his mind just as much as it did hers, but he seemed to foster it into an eagerness to fight. The slight smile on her face told her that he knew that they might be going to their deaths. He was a fighter though. He would fight to the death if need be just to have his pride. The dragon seemed to become larger and malformed. His shape changed as the white haired girl seemed to challenge him. A rustling behind her, though faint, was somehow enough to take her mind off of the creature ahead of them. As she turned, an arrow was loosed from one of the tributes that had run. It seems he had seen the fight that had happened and wanted to fight them, but the arrow wasn't aimed for her or her tribal companion, but aimed at the girl that was trying to calm the dragon! Quickly, she pushed Riya out of the way of the arrow getting stuck with it herself. It hit her in the chest just below her heart as she loosed her own arrow and hit the tribute in the face with it before hitting the ground. As soon as she hit the ground, life seemed to be moving slowly. Her eyes closed for a second as she bounced off the ground and flew a little further from the group. The wind got knocked out of her as she did so. She could see every dirt particle that went into the air as she finally hit the ground for the last time. She tried to talk ore do something to get her mind off the pain. She even leaned up and stood, only to fall back on a tree from the pain. She definitely had a broken rib or two as she looked at the others and smiled. That's when she saw the scale in Neeraj's hand. It seemed that the girl had kept her end of the bargain which was what she had been waiting for before all of this crap happened. Slowly she took the few strides back to the group before falling again.

(Thought I might add something in. Idk. You guys can tell me if you want to change it. I was thinking that when Demi pushed her down, her hood would come off and Raziel would be able to see who she was. But I prolly did that too soon. Neeraj seems ready to fight.)

(O.O ...... *re-reads like twenty times* T^T i love the post and and noooo demi!!!!! *huggles and tries to save her* we shall see what Es says lol)

(hahaha, thanks Killa)

((SDLFKSDF WHAT))

The scale that the cloaked woman tossed aside made Raziel tilt his head in a bird-like fashion. By now, he looked more like a demon from hell instead of a man. Her words made a deep rumble come from his chest. It must have been a laugh.

"I need not honor the words of a human." In other words, he had no problems killing all of them. Raziel didn't feel inclined to leave the others alone merely because this girl told him to. With a snap of his wings, the dragon being lifted a few feet from the ground. He watched Riya draw her blades with a kind of prideful interest on his face.

Neeraj caught the scale without thinking. His golden eyes were wide . . . but he knew what Riya was asking. They needed to back down and leave her to face the dragon alone.

Tightening his hold on the broken necklace, the tribute drew a breath to speak . . . and was immediately startled by the sound of commotion. Demicora broke away from him. In that horrible moment, Neeraj glimpsed the arrow. "No!" He would have thrown himself in its path if he could have.

Demi hit the ground, grunting with the effort. Neeraj lost track of their surroundings as a new kind of fear consumed him. His partner was dying. That arrow wasn't a minor strike, it was a killing blow!

"Demi, no," Neeraj tried to get her to stay still, but before he could get to her the woman stood. She stumbled forward. He caught her as she started to collapse. "We have the scale," he hissed, "we can go home. We can leave." His words were just filler now. Neeraj's mind flew through the options, finding none that satisfied him. She was in pain. There was no way to remove an arrow that deeply embedded without killing a tribute. He knew that. He'd seen it.

Raziel paused, looking mildly interested. He watched the dramatic scene before him before a scowl crossed his face. He'd seen this emotional play before. This time, he wasn't interested in being a part of it. Shutting off that part of him, the beast turned his attention back to his . . . prey.

She was on her back, picking herself up. The hood had fallen away, revealing pale features and startling teal eyes. The very shock of the moment drained the blood from his face. Raziel fell back into his human form, his breath hitching. She'd changed. Oh, she'd changed.

"Riya."

Red eyes refused to stop exploring her face. The dragon looked ready to bolt, yet . . . unable to turn away from the girl.

How long had it been? Two years? Five? He'd lost track. It didn't matter in the wilderness.

He repeated her name, this time in a more broken voice. "You survived," Raziel's unblinking eyes moved back to her face. Then they had kept their promise - they'd nursed her back to health.

(your welcome >w< seems Neeraj forgotten Riya's lessons on dragons lol it is all good lol)

Riya was unaware of the extra tribute that was trying to kill her, so when Demicora pushed her out of the way and took the bolt herself, she barely had enough time to turn her blades to where they would not hurt anyone. A few minutes after wards she picked her self up, her hood had fallen back letting him see the faint scar that he had healed personally. She looked around to see what had happen exactly, you can imagine her surprise to see that Demicora had taken the arrow for her, the one that would have killed her instantly. She slid her blades away, moving to go over to the female before she heard her name, it caused her to stop in her tracks. "Yes.....I am alive. I have been searching for you for years, Raziel. If it was not for these two I would not have found you." she said to him with a smile, glad to see that he had turned back into his human form once more, though concern was in her eyes as she looked at the couple. "Do you still want to fight? Do you still want to eat me?" she said to him as she looked up at him, smiling softly before she moved over to them, bending down to look at the wounded female. "Both end of the deal was completed, so why did you save me?" she asked her, not bothering to hide that fact from Raziel, after all she knew he had changed too.

Demicora had fallen into her companion's arms as soon as she made it back from where she had been. He seemed to want to take care of her, his eyes full of fear for what was happening. There was a way to take the arrow out without harming her, but it was so close to her heart that, it had the possibility of actually hitting her heart and cutting it. It had been such a miracle that she hadnt already moved the arrow to kill herself. Why had she saved this girl? What was the point of saving her? They had the scale now. They could go have gone home. They could have gone away from this place. Maybe it was because of the fact that she had never been part of the games. Or maybe it was because this girl had finally found the one person she was looking for and in having a conversation with him for only a few seconds, there was no reason for her death. She just couldnt bear the thought of letting her die in such a short time of finding him. At least thats how she looked at it being in the arms of Neeraj.
As the huntress opened her eyes to the male, she looked at his eyes and just felt a sort of connection towards him. His eyes were so beautiful. His features even sparkled to her. He was just so beautiful. The pain started to build up as her eyes started to tear. The girl seemed to have come close to her as well, asking why she would have done something like that, but she couldnt talk. She touched the male's face and then looked up at the girl. She looked as though she had been trying to talk and say something before she looked back at the male. The entire time, her breathing was deep, harsh breaths. She had tried so hard to not to show pain, but after a few minutes of trying and inability to talk, she started to show signs of discomfort and pain. The groans of pain started up as she closed her eyes and tried to take deep breaths. Her body started to move on its own as she arched her back in pain she felt while still in Neeraj's arms. "Please...." She finally said, tears streaming from her face. "help.." The last word was all she could get out before passing out from the pain.

(She wont die. Just passed out)

((LOL, Neeraj forgets things that aren't trained into him at times of panic, apparently. ;) Hahah

YEAH, she'd better not die!! D:<))

Raziel silently watched them for a moment. He knew very well what he could do - he'd done it before. Instead of stepping forward to help, as he might have years prior, the dragon warily kept his distance. Golden scales lingered on his features, keeping him draconic in nature despite his human stature.

When Demicora began to struggle because of her pain, Raziel's expression faded. What replaced it was a cold, cruel lack of empathy. He didn't care if the tribute died.

Neeraj ignored the small smear of blood that Demicora left on his cheek. That look in her eyes was more captivating than anything he'd ever seen before! Yet . . . she was dying. His words meant nothing. The dark-skinned youth let out a weak cry as he held his companion. She lost consciousness, writhing in pain.

"Help her." The male stood, looking ready to lose his sanity. "Please! Help her!"

Raziel noticed that the tribute was addressing him, not Riya. The dragon tilted his head, raising an eyebrow. His words were expected. "I will not." This new-found hatred for humans had all but ruined the man Raziel used to be.

"You must." Neeraj narrowed his eyes, a blade appearing in his hand. He'd . . . make him. Something. He had to do something. Dragons could heal people - nothing else around here could keep Demicora alive. Desperation brought a new kind of strength to the tribute. He ignored the warnings and danger he was in. If he died here, then so be it. He would do it for Demi.

Raziel chuckled, shaking his head slowly. "You have much to learn, human. Your race is temporary. You die." The dragon didn't back away as Neeraj moved closer, tensing and preparing to fight. "You aren't meant to survive."

The tall male sidestepped, avoiding the slash of a dagger. Neeraj was fast and strong . . . but he was no dragon. He didn't have the unnatural fluid movements of a reptile, nor the wings of a beast.

Everything moved fast then. Neeraj was knocked off of his feet, shoved backward, tossed, flung and otherwise used as a mere rag doll. Still, the tribute kept coming. At first, Raziel looked amused. After a good minute or so, he began to look irritated. Finally, his fangs and claws began to show just how annoyed he truly was.

Neeraj was hardly able to touch him. When the tribute threw the blade, he actually hit - though it was merely a scratch. Suddenly, he was off of the ground, suspended in midair with his feet a good distance from the ground.

There was a snarl from the dragon as he tightened his grip on Neeraj's throat. Then, he threw the boy a ways, making him lose his breath. Neeraj wasn't able to react when Raziel went for Demicora.

Raziel sent a glance toward Riya, looking unworried. It was a surprisingly calm look that held no annoyance whatsoever. He knelt, inspecting the wound with a mere once-over. Neeraj hissed threateningly, but the dragon lowered a claw toward the wound.

With a shout, Neeraj scrambled to his feet. He was knocked aside by a golden tail, swept away as though he was a leaf on a wave. By the time he could regather his senses, he saw what he never wished to see. She was being eaten! Panic followed, and he gripped a random blade from one of the fallen tributes. He charged.

Raziel's lips were pressed to the bloody wound, and his red eyes flickered to the other male. There was a growl as he bore his fangs, now covered in Demi's lifeblood. "Stay back, you fool." Without waiting to see if Neeraj would listen, the dragon male moved more fabric away from the arrow wound. Somehow, the arrow now rested on the ground beside them.

Demi was not going to enjoy the burning cleansing that would come from Raziel's saliva. Dragons could indeed heal others . . . but it never was a pleasant process. Especially when that wound was deep, and he wasn't shying away from the blood that now covered them both.

"You're hurting her," Neeraj said, hesitating. It was obvious that the dragon was healing her now, but . . . it was also very obvious that it was causing her pain!

Another growl sounded as Raziel ignored the boy. Instead, he pulled Demicora toward him once again. This time, it was closer to the way a predator would defend their meal.

Riya ached at seeing this scene, even she knew that there was nothing that she could do the female, but she also knew that her life was in Raziel's hands. He was the only one out of the three that could do anything to save the female's life, she looked at the dragon after having stood up. She could see the difference in him, the change was not something that she could understand, then again humans have tried to kill him before.
"Raziel." was the only thing she manage to get out of her mouth before she had to take the female as Neeraj decided to attack Raziel. She closed her eyes so as not to see the outcome of the battle, only opening them when she felt the female being taken from her hands, finally smiling at seeing her finally being helped. Once she was free, she couldn't help but go over to Neeraj to see if he was alright before she slapped him across the face.
"I understand that you care deeply about her but you having tried to kill the one person that can and is saving her was a stupid move. Yes she is being saved and yes it hurts." she said to him, standing between the two so that he would not attack the male once more.
"You see this scar?" she asked him, pointing to the faint line down her face as she kept her eyes one him. "I was young and much different from how i am now. A male decided to use me against Raziel and did this to me....yes it hurt but when he healed it. It burned i wanted to die because of it but it was all worth it in the end." she said in a stern voice to him, her face softening in understanding as she turned towards Raziel, sighing sadly before she walked over, placing a gentle hand onto his shoulder.
"Raziel, thank you." she said into his ear before she wrapped her arms lovingly around his neck for a breif moment before she let him go.

Demicora started to feel a burning sensation as she heard the grunts of her companion while she was still unable to open her eyes. The pain was too intense to manage, even for herself. This was the point in time she would have liked to have been a male in her tribe. They always had the highest pain tolerances out of every tribe, which would have been ideal in this situation. She felt the another presence holding her as she began to slowly open her eyes, the pain becoming numb at this point from the duration of the pain. As soon as her eyes were opening, she felt something else grab her and pick her up to them. A slimy substance could be felt as the male put his lips to her wound, the arrow somehow just not there anymore. A pain unlike what she had ever felt before began to swell around the wound. She closed her eyes from the pain and started to writhe, crying out as though everything were trying to kill her. Every fiber in her being was telling her that she was going to die. Her body started to sweat from all the pain. A fever sprung up on her body as she tried to fight the growing pain that was inside her as it burned through her body. The intensity of it made her hands ball into fists and paralyzed the rest of her body. She could feel nothing but the pain. Not the touch of the dragon against her skin, nor the breeze of the wind nipping at her in the clearing. There was no sound to anything around her except her own screams of pain and agony. She couldnt not hear the voices of her new companion or the concern of her partner as he cried out, trying to attack the dragon at every turn. Even with all this pain, for some reason, she could not go unconscious. Her body just wouldnt allow it even though that was the normal response for something as painful as this. Her thoughts were not that of wanting to get through it or even that of what might happen if she did survive. It was that of death. So much pain now had caused her to think of the worst. All she wanted was to be laid down on the grass. The pain to be stripped away from her in the growing cold of death. The loving arms of her father, wrapping around her in welcome. To go to a place where there was no pain. Then she thought of Neeraj and how beautiful he had looked when he caught her. His yellow eyes, tan skin, gleaming muscles. It was all that she could think about in the growing feeling of death.

((Heard this the other day, and totally thought of Raz. LOL))

When Riya slapped him, the male looked completely startled. Blinking in surprise, Neeraj kept his mouth shut. He listened, and looked properly reprimanded when the pale-haired girl turned away from him. At least he'd pushed Raziel to action with his attacks.

Raziel was silent as Neeraj was told a bit of their history. He smiled, though kept his mouth on Demi's wound. The girl's cries were growing stronger, but the bleeding had nearly stopped. Wen the dragon pulled his face away from the tribute, he stiffened. Arms had wrapped about his neck.

He didn't respond. Instead, Raziel tossed damp hair from his face and lowered his lips to Demicora's wound once more. Another swell of pain flew through her, but the dragon used his strength to keep the girl from struggling. It wasn't going to take much longer.

When Neeraj took a step forward, Raziel's expression changed. Threatening him with a bestial snarl, he watched the tribute until he backed off once more.

Tensions were high, but within the next few minutes Raziel lowered Demi to the ground. The burn would keep her sore for a few days, but she would recover without further issues. A dragon's healing prevented infection, so she wouldn't have to deal with that.

Raziel turned his gaze to Riya, ignoring Neeraj as the male knelt beside his companion.

"You left the others," he stated, looking curious. Eyeing Riya with his slit pupils wide, Raziel wiped some of the blood from his face. He still looked .. . different. Something in his eyes had changed. He wasn't quite as fond of humans, for one. He'd lost that gentle touch that he'd once had. "Why did you come looking for me, Riya?"

The second wave of pain came and she was about ready to kill herself with her own blade if she could move. The dragon held her still so he could continue to eat her, or at least that's what she felt like he was doing. She wanted to fight him off. If this was how a dragon ate their victims, she wouldn't even wish this on her enemies. He was burning her from the inside out.
Demi came out of the pain feeling sore, she looked up to see Neeraj was holding her which seemed really strange to her. Before she could think or even should've moved, she wrapped her arms around him and pulled him close. To see him after all this pain was terribly embarrassing, but she couldn't help it. Tears rolled down her face as for once she actually showed emotions she never had before. "I thought I was dying." She said between choked up cries. "It hurts so bad." Her voice was soft as she spoke in his ear. It was all she could manage between the pain and confusion of not being eaten.

(o.o ...... T^T that so reminds me of him)

Riya smiled as she tucked her daggers away before she started to pull the dead bodies of the other tributes off into the woods. Out of sight, Out of mind. That was how she saw it, a few more minutes passed by, giving her enough time to set up a camp fire since they weren't going to be moving any time soon. "I had no more to learn from them." was her automatic reply to him before she motioned for him to have a seat next to her, a sad smile on her face as she watched his reactions.
"You changed more then i have. What happen that made you this way? You used to look at me with such kindness and fondness......please tell me." she said to him softly as she moved closer to him, placing a gently hand on his cheek as she avoided the question that he had asked her. At that moment, she could not bring her self to tell him, he had changed and she had changed, which meant that she had to get to know him all over again.

((RIGHT?! I was like: FEELS. While at work. T__T))

Demi's choked cries made Neeraj frown in worry. He sat behind her, pulling her back against him so she could rest against him. "You aren't dying," he whispered, brushing hair from her face. He knew she was in pain - and he couldn't help that. Wrapping his arms about the woman's middle, he pressed his cheek to her hair. "I would have killed him before letting him have you."

Neeraj eyed Riya and Raziel as he kept himself close to his friend. "You're going to be alright." Golden eyes scanned over the bloody mess all over Demicora's shoulder and chest. He hoped he was right in that respect.
-

Raziel kept his distance as Riya moved the bodies. He didn't look eager to help, nor did he look inclined to feel sorry for the fallen. Instead, the dragon focused his gaze on his former friend. She certainly looked different. Riya had changed quite a bit!

The male refused to acknowledge the thought that he'd changed. If he did know, he didn't seem to care.

When Riya's hand rested on his bloody cheek, Raziel looked uncomfortable. He pulled away, red eyes narrowing. Her questions made him hiss under his breath. "Did I truly look at you that way, or is that what your memories tell you, human?" Raziel didn't put more space between them, but neither did he try to comfort Riya.

"Perhaps I've come to see your race differently." Raziel's wings flattened, fading with a sickening crack. Usually, the changing hurt him. Now, he ignored it - he hadn't even flinched. "Perhaps I've come to see through the eyes that were given to me." He was a dragon. Dragons had no place in the human world. That much had been proven by every creature that Raziel had met: they'd been through torture, danger, and death because he entered their lives.

Raziel shuddered lightly, pushing the human emotions and thoughts away. He didn't need them anymore.

"I don't need you." I don't want to remember.

Demi smiled at her partner as he seemed to take care of her. He showed how much he cared, but what was she suppose to do now? What were either of them to do? The tribes always had a way of splitting up those in love and now it seemed that she was now to be one of them. The male pressed his cheek against her head after brushing her hair to the side. Her hand moved to her bow and arrows as she moved her head away from the male so he couldn't see her blushing from his touch. Without thought, she cuddled in closer to Neeraj. She held onto his arms which seemed to be encircling her stomach and sides. His touch on her bare skin was just so warm and comforting.

Then another thought became seeded in her mind. What would they do when they got back to the tribe? She was already arranged to marry someone else. To go home now with the scale they had would do nothing but cause her new husband joy to see his betrothed was not killed though it was still well known that she was not widely excepted by any of the women there, but the men had no problem. What if she just stayed out here. The games had to have a winner, but she didn't want to win if she couldn't be with this man.

(this hurts my feels!!! just like that song did to you!!!)

Riya forced a indifferent look upon her face as Raziel pulled away from her hand, turning away from him as she pulled some food from her bag, motioning for Demicora and Neeraj to come and join the small meal that she procured form her bag. Her face soon harden as she handed him some food, even though her exterior was showing one thing, she was feeling another thing. She wanted to do what she use too, to break down crying, but she was not that type of woman anymore. She was stronger, she did not show useless emotions such as those.
"Even though I am human, i still have a name that i rather you use instead of just calling me by my race, Dragon." she said back to him in a calm collected voice, calling him by his race so as to let him know how it felt exactly to be addressed ins such a cold and heartless way. "You judge my race on the few who dare try to kill you, to harm you. Though you gladly look over the few who have brought good into your life. Even those who have done nothing to you. Do you deem the human race a plague for you to purge from the earth so that the Dragon race can continue onwards? Do you strive for the dragons to be the only ones left? The only race that full rejected you and cast you out as if you were a plague, is the one you choose over the one that tries to accept you." She said to him, as she kept as calm as she could, not raising her voice or lowing it from the pitch that she had started to talk to him in.
"The only difference between my race and yours is that mine does not have wings, scales, claws, or able to breathe fire, and has a short life span." she said to him as she ate a small piece of bread.

"I don't need you."

Those four words hurt her deeper then Lish had ever done to her, more then the temporary separation that she had to endure for her own sake. They cut deep into her heart to where she almost wish that he had never saved her from the life that she had. "If you do not need me. Then why did you take me with you to begin with?" she said to him softly, she tried to stay indifferent to him, to what he was saying to her, but she couldn't. Every word he spoke seemed to just dig the knife deeper and deeper her chest, she had to look away from him, letting her eyes on Neeraj and Demicora, she could see the love there, she was not blind to such things. After all a woman in love can see others love perfectly.

"As for your question, Raziel. If you can not clearly see the answer as to why i have been looking for you then I should have just let Neeraj push me off the cliff." she stated to him in a matter of fact voice, being just as cold and heartless as he was being towards her.

Neeraj accepted the bread that Riya offered in silence. He carefully split the food, handing one portion to Demi. His golden eyes lingered on the dragon, but always ended up returning to his companion. His thoughts, just like hers, dwelt on going home. If they returned, they would be separated. If they didn't return . . . the tribe lost their next leader. Someone else - another bloodline - would have to take over in Neeraj's absence.

The male frowned, not sure if he liked the idea of that happening. His father had been so proud to state that his family had ruled the tribe for four generations. Neeraj would be the fifth. If he left with Demicora into the unknown, his bloodline would fade again.

He chewed his bread thoughtfully. There were two very different paths before him. Neeraj gently shifted his hold on Demicora. He didn't want to think of it now. Not yet. Perhaps after a good night of rest. Perhaps after Demi was feeling better. Perhaps . . . after they'd talked.
-

Of course he'd pushed away the humans who'd helped him. It had been easy to twist his thoughts and forget them. So easy, in fact, Raziel considered it a dragon trait. All dragons must have done the same thing. Though they had exiled him, Raziel was convinced that a dragon's presence in the world meant turmoil and pain for the humans. The best way to avoid this was to become the monster that humans avoided. There was less risk of them being betrayed or hurt when they came to expect the worst.

"It's better if I'm left alone," Raziel said quietly, his tone softening.

Riya's question brought memories crowding into his mind. The dragon's slit pupils widened as he fought to keep those thoughts from overwhelming him. Raziel reached bloody hand up to brush away a drop ready to fall from his jaw. The movement was less dragon, more human. Why had he taken Riya with him in the first place? Because he'd loved her. Because he'd wanted her safe.

Raziel let a disappointed sound leave his lips. "If he'd pushed you from the cliff, you would have defied the odds and continued on." The dragon's tone had changed, and he looked . . . unsteady. He didn't like the thought of Riya being pushed from a cliff, despite his new-found mindset.

He could taste her sorrow in the air, and despite the way she was keeping it from showing, it was in the subtle things. It was in the way Riya's hands slightly shook, and how her eyes glistened with a bit more moisture than usual. Raziel felt a tug at a part of him that he'd been ignoring for years.

Don't cry.

The dragon felt a part of his mind reaching for Riya, searching for that familiar niche that allowed him to speak in her thoughts. He swiftly reeled it in, keeping it from making a connection. It was harder than he'd expected to keep himself from comforting the pale-haired girl.

"Eat in peace," Raziel spat. Glowing eyes darted over Riya's face. "Humans need their rest. No one will dare come near you while I'm here." He looked human now. Perhaps this was to prevent any passing tributes from noticing that he was the dragon they searched for? As the dragon moved toward the trees, he soon returned with an arm full of wood. Dumping it unceremoniously on the ground near Neeraj and Demicora, the male knelt. He blew softly, allowing a small flame to spread. It was moments before a fire was going.

Raziel stayed where he was. He looked uncomfortable every time his eyes darted toward Riya, but he didn't leave. That had to be a sign, right?

Demi took the split bread that Neeraj handed her. Her arm didnt want to cooperate with her as she reached brought her arm up for it. The muscles to raise her arm seemed to pull on that particular part of her chest. Though it was healed, or healing itself, the pain was still there, but she wasnt going to show that it was affecting her. As she broke the bread, she sat up so as not to be a burden on the male as he also ate. She opened up her pack and pulled out a couple apples. "Hey Riya. Catch." She tossed two of them to Riya, then handed the other to Neeraj. She wanted to eat one herself, but it didnt seem that it was going to happen.
Finishing up her bread, she felt a bit uncomfortable with what she was about to do, but then again, she was comfortable when he had given her his lap to rest on anyways. Turning to face the male, she blushed, which made her turn right back around. A few deep breaths were needed to get rid of the blush that had so quickly appeared. She tried turning around again. Success, the blushing was gone, but it made her nervous for what she was about to ask. "Hey, Neeraj? Um. Would it be alright with you if I slept next to you tonight? It would be a lot warmer and its sort of chilly tonight." The words she had chosen to speak with were a bit formal for her, but it was all she could think of to have the man close to her for the night. His touch seemed to ease her pain and soreness. She waited for him to answer before she decided to move back to where she had been before she had taken the bread.

Riya made sure that the two were eating before she offered half of her bread to Razeil, not letting him refuse it. Hearing the soft voice of the dragon next to her, as he spoke once more, she didn't exactly hear what he was saying as she was enjoying the softness of his voice. Her eyes watched the male, noticing the human movement that he made, a smile tugged at her lips. "Not even I could survive a fall from a cliff. " she said to him just as softly, unaware of the part of him that was trying to find her mentally. Her fist clenched slightly at hearing his next words, she knew that he was right but she couldn't sleep now for fear of waking up and finding him gone. Soon she heard Demi to tell her to catch something, her head turned towards the female, reaching up to catch the apples that were tossed to her. Handing one to Razeil before she stood up and stretched, tucking hers away. "Thank you, Demicora." she said to the female as she smiled, stifling a yawn as she looked around the area. "I am going to go find a river." she said to no one in particular, it wasn't because she wanted to get away from them all, it was because she wanted to clean up, and she had a feeling that Demi might want one in the morning also, besides they needed water also. With that said she headed off to find some water, leaving her bag behind.

---------- Post added 02-15-2013 at 09:37 AM ----------

(sorry it took so long rl got hectic for me)

((Im sorry i havent been online. I've been dealing with a death right now and unfortunately its still not over. I will do the best i can to post sometime this week, but we will see what happens.))

.

(it is okay hun take your time and i completely understand what you are going through)

((Ok. I'm sort of back, but I think im going to wait for Esmme before I reply))

(sounds fine to me lol)

((I'm so sorry for the delay. :/ And Dae, I'm so sorry! I hope you're doing alright?))

Neeraj noticed how often Demi tensed. At first, he thought it was her discomfort with where she was sitting. He thought that until his friend finally lifted her arm and subtly grit her teeth. Gold eyes filled with sympathy as he leaned back against the log nearby. There was a moment of silence before the girl turned to face him.

He tilted his head, waiting, but Demi turned back around. She must have been ready to speak. The thought occurred to him that perhaps she was just as strangely comfortable with their situation as he was . . . but he pushed it away. Demicora spoke formally when she did choose to speak up.

Brows lifting, he carefully tightened his hold on her. "The thought never occurred to me that you might want to leave your spot before morning." Neeraj smiled, immediately placing his free hand over her wound. It was more of an embrace to keep her close, really. "I wasn't going to let you leave."
-

Looking conflicted, Raziel watched Riya go. The dragon stared broodily into the fire, keeping completely silent and still. Flames reflected in his red eyes nearly as often as they flickered within. He was angry. This shouldn't happen. He shouldn't be so easily swayed from his choices - especially by a single girl!

The dragon sat cross-legged, glaring at the fire for many minutes. He couldn't help that his mind sought Riya as she wandered closer to the stream. It was extremely difficult to ignore, let alone reign in.

Isn't that what he'd wanted? To have her gone, and never become involved in her life again? If so, why was it so easy to want her back?

Want?

No. This wasn't mere want. This was more than longing. This was desire, a craving. Just seeing Riya again reminded Raziel of who he used to be. She reminded him of a very different person in a very different life. It was a life he lusted for more than anything else. Raziel missed the companionship, the very words of the human tongue.

Did it have to be this way?

A strange rush of anger flew through him. Of course it did. Raziel needed to keep himself out of the human world for their sake. He couldn't be selfish! It ruined them; destroyed them. Think of Lyna. Think of the others. Their lives were destroyed because a single dragon had stumbled into their midst. Someone would always hunt him, would always chase him, and there would forever be destruction left in Raziel's wake.

Those hurt were always the ones who he cared about the most. It was best to just stay away.

Nodding to himself, Raziel seemed to make a decision. He would leave. He couldn't stay with Riya - not when his longing for her was so strong. In the end, he found two parts equally striving to have her with him: his human and dragon side. Raziel wanted his friend back, and desired to be with her again. The dragon, though, was fueled by instinct. It wanted her equally HIS and DEAD.

With a growl, the dragon stood. Instead of leaving, though, he paced just within the range of the firelight. Tormented by the thought of spending eternity alone, Raziel could't just leave. Every time he took a step toward the forests, Riya's face came to mind like a ward against the darkness.

She found me. I can't just leave her.

Demicora smiled as the male's embrace tightened around her. His hand placed itself over her wound from earlier which made her flinch a little bit as though the wound had been fresh, but then she placed her hand over his to hold it there as if to say she were not going anywhere. The way they were touching and leaning just made all of her thoughts that much harder to bear. How could she think of him in such a way when all she had ever done was think of him as though he were some guy just trying to triumph over all the girls in the village? Which, she had to admit, he was at one point, but it seemed that these games had a way of changing, not only her views and ways, but also his. He was the one that had wanted to enter these games. He had always wanted to be chosen, whereas, she had always wanted to be left out of it. His cold heart for killing and battle seemed to be melted away just by the small amount of time they had spent together in this feral game. The thought of dying by this dragon as well as the possibility of dying by the tributes hands seemed to bring the two of them closer together in a short time span. They were use to this sort of environment, or at least she was. Hunting and tracking was always like this. Living out in the wilderness for days before being able to find the one thing that would add to the collection of meat for her mother and herself so that they did not starve, as well as collecting the herbs and other plants needed for her mother's witch doctoring. Yes, she was use to this style of living, but not the game. Her partner on the other hand was use to the game. He was bred for killing, the words coming from himself from time to time. This was his style of game, his perfect environment to prove to everyone that he did not put himself on a pedestal for nothing. To prove to their tribe that he was ready for the task of being chieftain. They both came from two different worlds and yet this game could bring two totally different people together. She felt so warm and comfortable against him, there was no feeling in the world she would rather have than this. She started to fall asleep against him as he leaned against a log, taking her with him. Out of all of the woman in the tribe he could have chosen and he didnt, she was the one she least suspected to even be on his radar and yet here she was.

Riya sighed heavily as she moved further and further away from the camp, stopping when she could hear the stream that was up ahead of her. Her eyes moved back towards the little makeshift camp, she had that feeling again, that she wasn't alone. She unconsciously placed a hand upon her stomach as if that would help the uneasy feeling that she had.

She couldn't help it as her thoughts were on the male dragon, though soon she tore herself away from him, finally reaching the stream. She watched it for a few moments before she begin to undress herself, even undoing her hair before slipping into the cold water. The coldness helped to loosen her muscles, even help the aches from old wounds lessen as she sat there in the water.

She had no doubt in her heart, she loved the male, and he was the only reason she had continued on with her life so far. Though now that she had found him, seen the changes in him, she did not what to do now. Soon the tears that she had been holding back, rolled down her face silently, a hand going to her chest as if that would help re-leave the heartache that she was feeling.

'Was i stupid to come and find him? Should I have died when those hunters tried to kill me because i was on his side?' she thought to himself, a hand tracing a scar that she had received while she had been looking for him. It was where her heart should have been but for a lucky birth defect that meant her heart was on the opposite side of her chest, she had survived.

If Raziel had been in tuned to her thoughts, he would have been able to hear the depression that she felt, the pain that she felt, even about a few fights that she thought back on. Remembering how she had fought for her life, almost dying a couple of times but the thought of finding the one person that stole her heart had kept her going. But now....now she did not know if she wanted to continue on, sure she believed that he would stay for the night but she had a feeling that as soon as the sun rose in the sky, he would be gone, leaving her alone once more.