"Then we should head southeast through the forest. Try not to kill anything on the way through." Though the warning was for both of them, he made it a point to look at Aub as he spoke. "The harpies don't take kindly to strangers regardless, but if you go hunting on their grounds they'll skin you alive." The thought of it clearly pleased him, a fact he could not hide from his companions. "I don't know how familiar the two of you are with harpies here, but they find hunting humans quite entertaining. They seem to prefer challenging and intelligent prey over the woodland beasts. I've even seen them hunt down and tear apart a band of demons from the far south." Though Vharrus didn't fear the harpies there was an obvious sense of respect, as if his words were meant to praise the beasts.

Without waiting for a response, as was his tendency it seemed, he headed into the woods. Just out of sight of the road, which wasn't far in the dense line of trees, he allowed Yul'Dur and Yul'Mah to reform; simply a precaution. The two seemed to know the woods well enough to take up positions on either side of Vharrus, far enough to scout but close enough to defend.

"Just as stuffy as always then." Aub chimed in brightly. A glance at Kits face however, and he subsided with a light laugh. "I'll behave." He told her, following Vhar in.
Kali shook her head slightly, as if asking for patience. Sometimes she wondered at the things she put up with. Kali smiled as the others walked away, glad that they were going to the harpies. Anything with wings was a favored people in her eyes.

Vharrus whispered something in an ancient tongue to Yul'Mah, who bounded happily back to Aub and attempted to knock him off his feet. Vharrus turned his attention to Yul'Dur and although no words were spoken it was clear there was something akin to a debate going between the two. 'Dur moved closer to Vharrus, lifting his head higher and spreading his wings, clearly defiant. Vharrus sighed and accepted defeat, somewhat upset by the turn of events.

Yul'Dur stayed on the defensive, but moved to better protect the group in whole rather than just Vharrus.

Kit sidled up next to Vharrus as 'Dur moved off, flicking her hair over one shoulder. She had more than one reason to like the harpies, but there was still caution in her mind. "Which Queen's flock are we going to visit?" she asked, her tone light, though guarded. There were a few harpy flocks not ruled by Queens, and she was on significantly worse terms with them; having sided with their sister Queens during past wars. She was cool in her manner, but her hand had found its way into her hair again, absently twirling strands around slender fingers.

Aubrey too, had developed a small furrow between his brows as they advanced underneath the canopy. He had his own reason to hope the reigning monarch was "Kit-friendly", as he had his own agreements worked out with those flocks. But the rest, who knew? The Lord bared fanged teeth in an exceedingly devil-may-care grin, then uttered a muffled 'ooomph' as 'Mah barreled into him - of course ruining any image of nobleness as the lanky man stumbled backward, landing with a resounding thump on his rear on the damp path. He looked up at 'Mah with a mournful expression, his tawny eyes wounded. "These were new pants," he told her in a voice to match his eyes. But without another thought he launched himself at 'Mah, arms flinging around her torso and wings to pin her as he tackled the dragonet.

Vharrus gave Kali a quizzical look, he hadn't heard of harpie queens, though his experience with them was brief. "I don't know." He replied, trying to remember if any of the beasts had mentioned anything. "I never met any of them that had any real authority, and none of them mentioned a queen of any sort. If we happen to run into them, I'll ask." He turned his attention to Aub, an inkling of a grin on his face. "I wouldn't recommend trying to talk to them, either of you. Also, don't bare your fangs like a fool." He couldn't help but speak in a high-and-mighty tone. "I wouldn't want to die because of you." He added as he watched the two on the ground.

Yul'mah hated being confined, though her thrashing about was more playful than serious. She pushed at him with her wings in an attempt to break his grip as she rolled from side to side, dragging the now-attached Aub across the ground. When she realized he wouldn't let go easily she decided to take her back claws to his new pants --careful not to cut him too deep-- while she blindly poked at his feet with her razor sharp tail.

Kit laughed outright at the shredding of Aubreys pants. She smiled but grew thoughtful as she considered Vhar's words. "Well then I'd rather blend." She added lightly. Kali ducked behind a large tree rather suddenly, a grin developing across her face As she moved out of sight.

Aub let out a strangled yelp of displeasure, promptly bopping Mah on the snout and rolling away from her, where he sat eyeing his pants and her with slanted eyes. A tiny ball of light appeared at his fingers again, this one tinged pink... he lobbed it at her, then shot a distinctly dangerous glance at Vhar. "Oh, don't worry about me youngster." He turned his attention back to Mah, who would be turning pink any moment if she caught this ball.

'Mah instinctively launched herself at the ball, but her better judgement caught up with her just before they collided and she ducked underneath it and charged at Aub, tearing a fairly large portion of one of his pant legs clear off with her teeth as she ran past him. She quickly turned around and took up a half-crouched stance, ready to pounce, the fabric still dangling from her mouth.

Vharrus had a good idea of what Kali meant by blend, but she didn't seem to be one to be predictable. He stopped for a moment to wait for her and turned to watch the pair behind them just as 'Mah tore the leg from Aub's pants. He could barely stop himself from laughing, although the voice in his head was rather worrying him. "Careful Aub, she was born to kill dragons." It was hard even for him to figure out if that was a warning or not. A part of him was hoping 'Mah would start tearing at flesh, but he pushed that part aside for the time being. A conflict between them would no doubt draw out the worst of the harpies.

Kali smiled to herself, back against the tree as she looked upwards, scanning the canopy. Not knowing what flock lived here, she choose a form not native to the southern lands, as a way to provide enough difference to protect her oddities, but similar enough to incite bonding. a brief moment, and she reappeared from behind the tree with a flash of downy feathers. She waited for Vhar and Aub several feet away up the path; brilliantly white wings flared behind her. The black bar pattern imitated a snowy owl, and the shockingly white hair and fair skin completed the image. Upon aproach, the stranger before the two men was revealed to still bear violet eyes, although the appearance had changed. Her eyes were almost all pupil, the wide stare of an owl at night. She grinned at Vhar, doing a tiny spin as if to show off - which she was.

Aub looked at Kit with a bemused expression, tawny eyes laughing. He knew herpreferred for was not an owl, so he wondered to himself why this time. Deciding his pants were more important however, he leaped at Mah and tackled her, wrestling her for the scrap of fabric in her mouth. As he did so, the pink ball landed squarely on her rump, splashing her with brilliant pink.

Yul'mah spun around like a dog chasing it's tail, snapping at the pink bones in a failed attempt to rid herself of the unwanted color.

Vharrus sized up Kali's new appearance. Though the eyes gave her away, her appearance was otherwise entirely unrecognizable. He couldn't quite place the emotion he felt as she spun, but he was quite fond of it. "The harpies here are mostly green feathered, which fades to brown at the wing's tips. I'd guess it's a natural camouflage." He did his best to keep any sign of excitement from his voice. He was quickly growing fond of her company, but it was experience that had taught him that all things end.

Yul'Dur approached Kali's new form with both curiosity and intrigue, no doubt capable of sensing the magic lingering on her body. He circled her twice, occasionally nudging at her legs and hands.

Aubrey grinned as Mah broke away, snatching the scrap from his pants triumphantly. Not that the piece of fabric would do much to repair the shredded cloth. He waggled his finger at her as the color faded, not truely upset but pretending to be, his voice stern as he scolded her. "This was persian cloth, you scamp." Aub couldnt hold the serious face and he broke into a laugh, offering the fabric scrap to her for a new game - tug-of-war.

Kali smiled, crouching down slightly to acquiesce to the curious dragonet. "Yes - they tend to imitate their surounding landscape, although there are the occasional displaced ones." she gave a small glance to her own new set of wings.

Yul'Mah crouched and immediately sprang, digging her teeth into the fabric and tossing her head side to side in an attempt to tear it from Aub's hand. After realizing it wouldn't be that easy, she tossed her weight back and brought her front legs up to Aub's chest, and Vharrus could swear she was grinning as she pushed Aub back, tearing the cloth in two and throwing the man several meters.

Vharrus laughed as he saw Aub flying back, despite their appearances his two dragons had the strength to pierce a dragons hide; which it seems is enough to send this vampire flying as well. This was the first time Vharrus ever saw the dragons play with anything smaller than a mammoth, so even he was slightly surprised at the distance Aub traveled. He turned to Kali in hopes of catching her reaction to the events as well.

Aub, having not truly been expecting such a force from a little pup of a dragon, found himself flying backwards. Instinctively, Aub twisted slightly, landing neatly in a crouch, his eyes acquiring a bit of a red hue. He cocked his head, gaze transferring to the other two-leggeds, Kit, for her part, was nearly wheezing with gales of laughter. He gave them both a distinctly dirty look, and then, figuring he may as well, turned his attention back to the dragonet. He looked at 'Mah languidly, with a deceptively lazy smile flickering across his face. In the next moment the vampyre was sitting on her back, jockey style, looking ridiculous on the much smaller 'Mah. Despite it all being in jest, the eye-blurring speed of his movements and the casual way he had taken such a tumble revealed much of his age; as a lesser being of his kind would likely have been injured, unable to react fast enough to land as he had.

'Mah struggled under Aub, surprised at his lightning-fast reactions, and knowing now that he was not as frail as she had thought she had no reason to hold back. She pushed herself to the side, straight into the inside of Aub's thigh, in an attempt to knock him off balance; while at the same time wrapping her tail under her belly and around his ankle to pull him underneath her.

Vharrus smirked as Kali laughed at the pair, debating his next choice internally. "If you think you can beat her, you're wrong." He yelled to the vampire, watching carefully as the two struggled against each other playfully. He turned to Kali before he spoke again. "Would you mind if Aub got a little.. injured?"

Aub growled at her, though it was laced with amusement. He dug his heels into her side and gripped her with his thighs much as one would a horse. Instead of fighting her tail, he rolled into it, pulling her over with him. He slipped away from her, sitting on her chest now instead. He grinned down at her, eyes twinkling.

Kit cocked her head to one side, looking at Vhar with a laugh. "He could use a good tussle I think." She miled, looking back at the preening vampyre. "Hes quite capable of healing himself anyways..."

Vharrus smirked as he considered how far to take this little battle. "Yul'Mah, you can stop holding back." He yelled, producing a small obsidian colored ball of magic in his right hand. 'Mah caught sight of the ball and without hesitation wrapped her tail around Aub and pried him off. As soon as she had some room she spread her wings. The empty space between her bones was slowly filled in with an almost transparent paper-thin sheet of bone, the bottom edge of which was razor sharp; although an ordinary person wouldn't be able to tell so at a glance. Vharrus could see the faint aura around each of her bones, the same color as the ball in his hand, and he was certain the others would be able to see it far better than he could. Yul'mah stood still as a statue, staring at Aub, waiting for him to move.

Aubrey, as he had before, landed catlike in a crouched position, though his gaze was focused on Kit. He was giving her a distinctly grouchy look, as he'd overheard her comments. "Thanks ever so much, my Queen." he muttered under his breath. Still, he knew what Kit was doing, and he knew through many years familiarity, what was expected of him. He was a lure, a way for her to gauge a comrade or enemy without exposing herself.
Still, when he looked back at 'Mah, he couldnt help but grin. He, unlike Kit, liked dragons, and Vhar's pair were interestingly unique. Sharp eyes followed her new growth of weaponry, and he sighed a bit. He didnt really enjoy getting hurt.. She was smaller, but clearly had more natural defenses than he. His bite wouldnt make a damn bit of difference on bone, but his speed and strength would help. Aub couldnt determine yet if she had magic on top of that, but he guessed that Vhar, with that little ball, had some influence over the fray. Briefly, he wondered if weapons would be cheating..
Aub sprang at the dragonet, landing hard on her back, his force pushing her down. He moved off as fast as he'd come, behind her now, his eyes losing any hint of normalcy as they blazed red. Aub's movements were faster than a normal eye could even make out as a blur, there one moment and gone the next. He'd used only a tiny bit of strength to force her flat, but he expected her to recover quickly, if what Vhar's irritating voice had said was true.


"Ten gold on 'Mah to break a bone - or several - but he pins her in the end." Kali said in a bemused voice, lifting an eyebrow at Vhar with a challenging smile.

Vharrus laughed openly at Kali's wager. "If Aub pins her I'll buy you a new wardrobe." He turned to look at Kali for a moment, amusement flooding his face. "However, if 'Mah pins him you have to show me your original form." Vharrus turned his attention back to the mock battle before Kali could reply.

Yul'Mah didn't hesitate to strike back, swinging her tail horizontally just above the ground with speed almost matching Aub's. She dug her feet into the dirt, packing it down and preparing to spring.

Aub, his attuned ears hearing the new wager, paused briefly to look at Kit. Even he didnt know if hed truely seen her.. and he had been with her for centuries, longer than anyone. Aub made up his mind in that moment, but nonetheless it was the display that mattered. He watched Mah with a grin, then shot forward. Aub didnt like the defensive and as such he latched onto Mahs wing bone, his grip steely as he pullef her over. He meant to grab her only, as he expected her bones not to shatter under her grip as most would. He flung forward, meaning to send her crashing to the ground As he resumed his defensive crouch.

Kit said nothing, her brow furrowing. It had been so lo g, her fiest thought was not to protect herself, it was to wonder what she had looked like before she came in to her power.

'Mah didn't have the time to avoid the beast at her back. As Aub gripped her wing she released the ground beneath her and tucked her neck in, and as soon as she found herself on the ground she used her other wing to lash out at him. She knew she outweighed Aub considerably with her newly grown bones, but his strength surprised her. With little effort she stood back up, and looked to Vharrus for support.

Vharrus ran his finger over the ball in his hand, and with a sharp crack 'Mah's bones began to shift. Her wings grew to size first, the bones slowly extending and the webbing quick to follow suit. Thousands of small tendrils enveloped each of her bones, slowly adding mass to her growing body. Though unnoticeable to the naked eye her bones became more dense as well, evidenced by her feet digging slowly into the ground as it struggled to hold her up. In a matter of a quarter minute Aub was face to face with a full-grown dragon. Vharrus could see the black aura clearly now, even with his dulled senses.

"Really?" Aub complainex, raising from a crouch to a standing position, fists on hips as he eyes Mah. He jadnt faced a grown dragon since Jake, the fire dragon that jad so poisoned Kits being. Still, in strength and speed, he knew he could match heher and thus faced Mah with a devil-may-care smile. he grinned at Mah, the oft-hidden fangs lengthening and now visible in duch a gesture. Still loathe to take a defensive, aub again sprang forward, ducking down as he latched on to her forearm, pulling it underneath her as he shot past her. The most he hoped for was to trip her, at best, to a dragon unused to fighting, he may have dislocated a joint with the speed of his movement.

'Mah didn't resist Aub as he passed underneath her, instead she raised her tail in anticipation and brought it down with enough force to put it two feet into the ground; she couldn't be certain if she had made direct contact or not, although she was certain she felt flesh before soil. She propped herself up using her wing until the bones in her leg found their way back to their proper places.

Aub shuddered in pain as he felt mahs tail crash down upon him, the direct impact hitting his right side as he slid underneath her. He stayed in his crouched position as he waited for yhe lumbering beast to face him again, using the time to knit bones and flesh back together. One advantage of being an old geezer, he thought idly to himself, is healing faster than the young pups can hurt you.

'Mah put her foot down with enough force to shake the earth as she lifted her wings. With a smug look --if she was capable of one-- she brought her wings down generating a gust of wind strong enough to propel her forward. She barreled over the trees in front of her, uprooting the smaller ones as her body crashed through them, and grabbing a larger one with her front claws she snapped it in two. The tree was easily the size of a building, and the three others could easily stand on it's trunk with room to spare. She left it on the ground as she turned to face Aub again, unable to stave her desire to strike an oddly royal pose for a dragon; wings held high, chin slightly raised, tail draped across the fallen tree like a snake on a branch.