Yuzo still couldn't get used to being addressed by another prince as if they weren't on equal terms. In fact he preferred not being bowed down to at all. His travels and being away from his family had made him more accustomed to being treated as a normal person would. "Just Yuzo is fine Kiyoshi. And you're a prince too, your majesty. If you're not in my territory, you don't need to call me by my official title. I know they don't." he says, nodding his head in the direction of Kenji and Merisa. He meant to include Krinn as well.

Seeing that the two elves were far enough, he continued, "Out here, we're equals. Besides, I haven't really done anything for anyone yet." With that, he emptied the bucket of water over himself. He moved the NyteFyre back a little before starting his transformation. Sea green scales started covering his skin and his face and body grew longer and longer. Hands and feet started turning into claws and a tail soon became visible.

As soon as he hit around 16 feet in length, two yards off from his intended size, he charged at the wall. It was indeed made of plaster and he may have overestimated it's strength a little as he accidentally broke a hole in the stairs' more solid wall in his attempt to turn upwards. He didn't even bother with the measly wooden door at the top of the passage. Breaking through it and the wall around it was effortless. Finally outside, the great Water Dragon coiled rather snake-like in the air, happy to be in this form once more. He was now at full size and took up a fourth of the roof in his curled posture.

Yuzo was gone up the stairs, but Kiyoshi remained with his head bowed. "You could never be so low as I, prince."

Merisa, awed at Yuzo's beautiful dragon, slowly follows Yuzo up the stairs and watches the dragon prince on the roof. "Wow, Yuzo!" She wasn't loud, but she didn't doubt he heard her all the same. Her ears were perked up and forward in her fascination, her tail doing a happy twitch behind her.

Kenji, who hadn't left the room yet, looks to the door in worry. "Come on, Krinn. Come on..."

He'll come, Kenji. I know he will. Korai was watching the door too, even though the giant sea serpent had fascinated him, he didn't want to leave Kenji.

Yoshi makes no move to follow Merisa up the stairs, still not looking up, and makes his offer to Kenji. "The prince wouldn't allow me to trash the wall, perhaps I should help Krinn instead?"

"That's really up to you. We want him to join us, but not at the cost of you dying to help him." Kenji was studying Kiyoshi closely, trying to see the monster in the man that the man saw in himself. He couldn't find it. Not even when Kiyoshi was in his dragon form did he look like a monster. "You don't need to kill anyone to help us, Yoshi. Krinn is doing what he's doing because that's how he is. He's a lone wolf and the strength of our pack. But you're not like that."

"How would you know? I'm born and bred to be a killer. NyteFyre dragons aren't farmers, unless death and destruction can be farmed like any other crop." Kiyoshi's voice was full of self-hatred, a sound that filled his voice similar to extreme depression felt by those that were used against their will. "I don't want to be like my father and brothers, but I will if it keeps the people I choose as my friends safe." He blushes and turns away from Kenji, still not looking up.

You know, you're not like them at all, why do you keep putting yourself down like that? You've said you hate your flame, you hate killing, and you hate using your dragon side for violence. Obviously, if you loved or liked either of those things, you'd be like your hated family. But you're not like them, as you don't like that stuff. Korai flies from Kenji's shoulder to Yoshi's forcing the other elf to look at him. Perhaps it's time to stop beating yourself up for what you are and be what you want to be without living in the shadows of your dark family history?

"You don't always have to kill to keep friend's safe." It was Krinn's voice and he stood in the doorway. He blinked and for a moment just stared at them. "....Why's there a hole in the wall?" That head tilted to the side a bit. Behind him could clearly be seen the mob. What was left of it. At least one person had done something that got his arm ripped completely out of the shoulder socket. Aside from the idiots that had more or less killed themselves the casualties were low. A lot of the mob just laid there, moaning and groaning or unconscious.

There were quite a few coin purse additions to Krinn's belt. Each tied carefully with a thin but strong cord that wound itself around the top of the pouches and into the holes that lined the bottom edge of his belt. All the way around. For the most part the wolf seemed uninjured. Maybe a scratch here and there but nothing serious. He was still staring at Kenji and Kiyoshi. Awaiting a plausible explanation as to why there was a gaping hole in the wall.

After Merisa's awestruck explanation, Yuzo flew up in the air and did a loop, a miniature imitation of a rollercoaster. It was as if he was showing off. "Now you've seen a NyteFyre, a Forest and a Water Dragon all in two days. Not bad for the world beyond home, huh?" The prince was enjoying himself, floating in the air as if he were swimming in the water. He couldn't fly too high up though and water was still always the best. 'Swimming' in a ring around the tigress, Yuzo peered down the hole in the roof. "What's taking them?" he asked, his huge bright green eyeball shifting from the stairs to Merisa.

"It would have been a smaller hole, but he said he wasn't doing enough on this quest." Kiyoshi sighs as he walks through the hole and up to the roof.

Korai leaves the dejected elf's shoulder before he could get too far from Krinn. What were you thinking! Worry had brought out a louder side to the small dragon. He immediately takes up his perch on Krinn's head and begins to heal what injuries he'd received. Can't you stay out of a fight for one day? Just one?

Kenji was chuckling as he walked out of the room. "Merisa will be glad to see you're alright, assuming she hasn't fallen off the roof yet."

On the roof, when Yuzo swooped down near her, Merisa leaped upon his back and held on. "You never said your dragon side was so big, Yuzo!"

"Well thanks!" Yuzo replied with a sharp toothed grin and moved his big head out of the way so that the merchant could walk through. He coiled around in the air once more. "But you should see how I'll look in a year's time. All my elders are way way bigger than this. One of my sisters would be big enough to wrap around this building twice and she's only a year older than me." Slithering around the two now on the roof, he continues, "So is Krinn alright?" This time he spoke to the NyteFyre while doing a slow roll. He was enjoying this form as much as he could while he could. In an hour he would revert to his human form as he was still inexperienced in shape shifting.

"R-right." Krinn still seemed a bit confused as to why there was a hole in the wall. "...The roof?" He blinked again shaking his head a bit as Kiyoshi left through the hole. Those brows furrowed slightly. He did wince slightly at Korai's tone. "I didn't start the fight..It's Kenji's fault.." Krinn said, feeling a bit helpless against the small dragons annoyance at him and worry for him. Those eyes were on Kenji when he spoke and moved out the room.

"But...why..is there a hole?" Krinn shook his head and sighed softly. "...I only came back in to ask what everyone wanted for breakfast." The wolf shrugged slightly and turned, stepping out of the room and over the bodies that still lay in pain or unconscious. Heading towards the stairs to go down them. "Well. I'm hungry and I want some breakfast." He reached up and pat Korai softly. "Sorry I worried you.."

Kenji jumps after Krinn, leaping over the bodies and such in the hallway. "Wait, nuh-uh! No, we're leaving now, Krinn. Not eating breakfast. We can get something on the way. We have to go now." He's in front of Krinn before they reach the stairwell, pushing the warrior wolf back to the room.

W-whoa... You guys are making it hard to heal here... Korai was wobbling as he tried to keep his balance on Krinn's head.

"There's a hole because we needed to get out in case they got in, and the roof has easy enough access off of it. And with Yuzo the giant water dragon on our side, we have a safe ride to the ground." He was still trying to keep Krinn from leaving the upper hallway...again...

On the roof, Merisa leaps over the coils of dragon body, looking over as much of the serpentine creature as possible as she hops around like a cat after a string. "You're already so big! How can you get bigger??"

Kiyoshi was standing in a far corner of the roof, not wanting to get in the way, his head still bowed slightly in Yuzo's presence. "With all due respect, we aren't equal, prince." He looks down the stairs, one of his arms moving to cross his chest, the hand gripping on his other elbow. "He had a few scratches, but he's alright. Korai is with him, he's probably started healing him already."

Krinn blinked. Stopping in midstep and taking a few steps back when Kenji jumped infront of him. He blinked and stared at Kenji, crossing his arms across his chest. A brow raised. "Well..First I'm going downstairs to pay for the unnecessary damage done to the room..and second I'm getting some breakfast." He was frowning abit. "Are you..afraid of some weak humans?"

Krinn reached up and picked up Korai and pushed the little dragon gently into Kenji's arms, using that as a distraction to skip around the wolf and bound the rest of the way down the hallway and dash down the stairs. Krinn didn't stop moving until he had practically run into the Innkeeper. A wolfish grin on his lips, he was already reaching for a few of those coin pouches at his belt to hand to the Innkeeper. "Hey."

The innkeeper was pacing the floor at the base of the stairs, keeping some guests from going up the stairs and keeping friends of the mobsters from knowing who was beating the tar out of their companions. He was mid-turn at the bottom step, heading back to the open floor, when Krinn ran him over. "Oh sir! Is the minor complication handled smoothly?" He glances over at the growing mob in the far corner of the room by the door going outside. The friends of the other mob had friends of their own that came along, itching for a fight, and stupidly thinking the innkeeper would point out who they had to kill. "I do hope it won't be a problem here out?"

~X~

Upstairs, Kenji shakes his head and carries Korai up to the roof where the others were waiting. "We may have to leave a note somehow for Krinn and whoever stays behind to meet up with us later."

"With your fur, you're too easily noticed in town. I can stay behind and lead Krinn to you if you want." Kiyoshi hadn't moved from where he stood near the edge of the roof.

"Here, here. This should cover everything." Krinn was already pushing the coin pouches into the Inn keeper's hand. "Also..I'd like some dried meat, some cheese and some bread..at least enough for me and my companions to have a nice breakfast." He blinked at the mob, looking at them questioningly for a few moments, as if he had no idea why they were there, before that arm was around the Inn keeper and he was ushering him towards the bar. "And quickly, if you'd please..." he added, so it wouldn't seem suspicious as to the quickness he requested. "We're nearly late for an important appointment." Those eyes, when he looked at the Inn keeper glinted with mischief for a moment.

The innkeeper nodded quickly, taking only one of the coin purses. "Please, sir, this is more than adequate. I have what you want in the store room in the back, perhaps your companion could help you carry it all back to your room?"

Kiyoshi was standing against the wall beside Krinn. "We're meeting up with the party outside of town. The appointment deadline was moved ahead of schedule, and we're even more pressed for time now."

The innkeeper nods again, leading the way to the storerooms. "Please, sirs, right this way."

"My..?" Krinn blinked and half turned. "Oh..right. He'll be a big help." He smiled a bit at Kiyoshi. Odd, he hadn't heard the man come down behind him. Oh well. His voice lowered slightly. "If we're going to the storeroom, then we'll just slip out the backdoor. The rest of our group seems to already be out and about this morning." He shrugged a bit and followed the Inn keeper after another glance towards Kiyoshi, mostly to smile at him. A friendly smile.

"Er,well that's because I'm still a ki-" Yuzo decided it was best to not follow Merisa's hopping with his head anymore. He was getting dizzy just following the hyper cat. "Nineteen years is really young for a dragon you know. You're probably older than me." Moving his head to the side to get a better view of Yoshi, Yuzo added, "And stop calling me that or else I'll start calling you prince as well."

He was barely able to move his tail out of the way when Merisa tried to jump at it. She was very much like a cat, not just in appearance either. After Kenji came up and talked about who would be staying for Krinn and who would be going on ahead, the dragon already knew who would be able to actually stay even before Kiyoshi volunteered. It wasn't like a dragon was a normal thing to have on the roof of one's business. There had already been three kids staring at them from their windows in a neighboring building and one laundry lady who had abandoned her clean clothes in fright after seeing a giant lizard. After the merchant had gone down to tell Krinn, Yuzo turned to the three remaining. "So, want a ride?"

Kiyoshi bows his head before Krinn, not seeing the smile, friendly or otherwise. "My apologies, I guess I forgot to mention something about my kind." He sneers, correcting himself quickly, "I mean my father's kind." He purposely doesn't mention his other half by breed for fear of the innkeeper suddenly rejecting their business. That has happened to him before. It was another reason he hated his father and that clan of miscreants he was unfortunately related to.

He follows a step behind Krinn, being led to the storeroom by the all-to-eager-to-please innkeeper, and studies the fighter male. He saw power radiating on Krinn like a second skin, but it was not an evil energy. He was so used to seeing power linked with evil that he stopped walking for a moment just to contemplate it.

"Sir? Please, if you're in a hurry, it's best not to stop along the way. We are almost there, just behind this door." The innkeeper opens one of the doors in the kitchen, and stores of dried goods can be seen on every shelf. "Please, take what you need. When you're done, the door beside the black stove will lead you outside." He points to the black stove and the door beside it. Bowing, he backs out of their way. "May you have a safe journey." In seconds, he was gone, and Kiyoshi was alone with Krinn.

~X~

Kenji leaps up onto a part of Yuzo that was close enough to the roof and runs up the length of dragon to just behind his head. "It's the only way off this building, so if it's alright with you, we'd appreciate one."

Merisa stops her game of leap-pounce and sits beside Kenji. "Kenji is older than I am, but I'm a couple of years older than you are. If dragons live forever, then we won't be friends for just mortal time, but for all time." She was petting the shiny scales just in front of her. "Elves are immortal, after all."

~X~

"It's not that hard, really. You talk to them in their dreams, encourage them onward, and we don't kill anymore blue water dragons." The voice radiated evil, the face showed irritation, and the movements displayed power. None of those alone was too much, but add all three together, and the combination was lethal.

It's not that I won't, but they aren't asleep now. Forcing them to sleep would raise suspicions and they might not listen to me if they suspect I'm helping you. The great golden head lowered behind it's heavy cage bars. And don't forget, I am trying to help you.

"No, you're trying to save your own hide. Oh great dragon, you are such the cowardly one. Had you eaten me when you had the chance, you'd be free to do whatever pathetic thing one in your position does all day." The evil man was pacing before the enormous barred wall in the deep cave. He was clearly not worried about the chance of fire, as he didn't wear any protective garments, not that it would have done any good against some fire that certain dragons could breathe.

He didn't need any armor anyway, he had magic on his side. Granted, his magic was all dark, none of that white stuff, nothing pure about what he did, not that he didn't wonder about it. It couldn't touch him any more than dragon's fire could. Not that the Great Dragon could actually breathe fire. He was the Great Dragon for a reason. His dreadful ability was 'breathing life'. Every time he thought about it, he always had just one thing to say, "Pathetic."

"Sire, we've rid your kingdom of more mortal filth. We brought you what seemed useful to work in the halls, despite the constant irritating cries for their mothers, they work quite well." The new male bowed before his king, the self proclaimed lord of the land in which he resided. "We've added their meager funds to your treasure room, sire."

"Good, good, Akurei, you've done well. I trust you've taken the rest of the villages for your own?" The 'king' and Akurei had a deal, the dragons brought him mortal muscle to build his kingdom, and Akurei's family gets whatever they want from the villages that the 'king' doesn't need.

"Yes Sire. They shall not bother you again." Akurei bows once more, leaving the 'king' to the Great Dragon once more. Once the NyteFyre king enters his own throne room, which his sire was so gracious to let him have, he turns to his sons, the only ones he recognizes as his own. "The fool continues to believe we are doing his bidding. Keep it up, and someday, this kingdom will be our own!"

"The sins of the father are not the sins of the son." Krinn had tossed those words into the air with a casual tone, but they seemed to be somehow weighted. The wolf shrugged he didn't glance behind him to look at Kiyoshi until the Inn keeper rushed them along. Krinn glanced over his shoulder at Kiyoshi for a moment. Those lips parted a question on the tip of his tongue. He didn't ask it. Not yet. Krinn stepped into the storeroom, nodding at the innkeeper just before the man vanished.

He began to grab things he thought the others might like. Glancing to Kiyoshi once. "What were you thinking, just now?" Already he had found a small sack to put the food items in.

Yuzo merely laughed after hearing the tigress' comment on friendship. 'Friendship isn't limited by one's lifespan.' he thought to himself, remembering wise words given to him long ago. After making sure his friends had settled down comfortably on his neck, the dragon approached the edge of the roof. "You ready? Hang on tight!"
Not really waiting another second, Yuzo shoots off the roof and high into the air before doing a steep dive, pulling up once more before they hit the ground. A poor group of morning marketers had to scramble out of the way, thinking that the great green lizard would really have hit them. But Yuzo had more self control than that and weaved between the tops of taller buildings. The town was actually bigger than he thought it would be, but getting to the edge of it wasn't going to take too long for him. If he actually went in a straight line.
"Oh, by the way, where outside of town are we supposed to meet up?" he asked Kenji, his great green eyes glancing up quickly before returning to the airspace before him.

Kiyoshi nods slowly, not really hearing Krinn's words of wisdom. He was putting food in the sack between them, knowing that no matter the weight, he could carry it. Wood elves were strong, not to mention that if it got too awkward, he could shift and carry it so much easier that way. Although, if anyone saw his dragon side, there would be problems... "Perhaps we shouldn't overfill the sack?"

He doesn't look to Krinn at the question, he focuses on his task. "I... I don't know how to answer that..." Yoshi glances at him quickly, but covers up the move by reaching toward some dried fish.

~X~

Kenji looks at Merissa, then looks away to watch the buildings flash around them. "Uh, I'm not sure. All Kiyoshi said was 'meet us by the old tree to the west' and then he was gone." He was holding on to Yuzo as best as he can, but still, the dragon's erratic movements were throwing his mind for a loop.

Merisa was having fun, bouncing around on the back of the dragon as he flew, agile as the cat she appeared to be. "Wow! We're moving so much faster than if we were walking!"

Krinn shrugged a little. "I'm sure it won't break. I can carry it if you think it's too heavy." He looked at Kiyoshi for a few moments, just watching him before shaking his head. "..Don't know how, or just..don't want to answer?" He shook his head slightly. "Doesn't matter, I was just being curious. The way you were looking though. Like you were trying to figure something out that didn't make sense."

He shoved a few more things in the sack, waited for Kiyoshi to put something else in before he closed it by gathering the extra material near the top and gathering it all togeter, then he grabbed some twine from nearby and wrapping it around the top of the sack to keep it closed but leaving a long tail of twine hanging down. The tail of twine Krinn wrapped around his right hand and with a very low grunt he hefted the sack up, carrying it so that it rested against his right shoulder blade. His grip on the twine that was wrapped around his hand was tight. His eyes on Kiyoshi, expectantly. Mostly he just expected the man to lead the way.

Kiyoshi raises his hand, as though to stop Krinn from grabbing the sack. "I can carry that. You shouldn't have to do it." He couldn't help but feel that it was his place to do that, and that Krinn shouldn't be caught doing such a thing. "I don't really know how to answer your inquiry." He knew he sounded like a repeater machine that the Anti-Magic group likes to make, but he couldn't think of another way to word it. "I'm just not used to seeing people that are happy helping people toward something better, without being evil in some way or another." He starts toward the back door, reaching into a hidden pouch under his clothes for some coins. "Did he say how much this would cost?"

Krinn wouldn't let Kiyoshi tak that sack though. Gripping it hard and tight, he shrugged a bit as he moved towards the back door. "It's rare, I'll admit. Most people won't be bothered to help someone else out. If they can't get something out of it, most people wouldn't lift a finger to help at all." He nudged Kiyoshi a bit when the man reached for some coins. "Keep your coin. I've already given that Inn keeper enough to mend repairs to his inn and keep his entire family well fed for a long time. Anymore coin and he'll become spoiled. Moderation, cousin, that man doesn't need any more money than what he's already got. Besides, his inn does pretty decent business as well. The others are waiting so we shouldn't waste any more time here."

He'd dropped the coin back in his hidden purse, his brain going blank at the word Krinn called him. "Did you say 'cousin'?" He was already moving out of the door, not paying attention as he was walking down the stairs into the darkness. He was decidedly not heading outside, but Kiyoshi didn't notice that fact at first.

"You don't want to be thought of as a cousin? Everyone's related, as I see it. We're all a part of nature. Cousins as it were." Krinn blinked. Those light blue eyes glowing just slightly in the darkness. Darkness? "W-wait." Krinn reached out to place his left hand on Kiyoshi's shoulder to stop him. His hand stopped in mid motion as he heard something..or rather..someone behind him. He turned slightly, not making it all the way around before he felt a foot on his back. A kick. "Wha-?"

It sent him tumbling forward into Kiyoshi, sending them both down the stairs. Krinn's body tensed, he let go of that pack almost as quickly as he could..thinking fast and knowing they didn't need that heavy thing falling and beating them about as well. He closed his eyes tightly as they tumbled deeper into the darkness and down those hard steps. No doubt they'd both be bruised and sore when they reached the bottom, if they reached it alive. Assuming neither of them took a knock to the head that left them a bit empty between the ears. He wasn't sure but he thought he heard that door slamming closed somewhere above them.

"That snake!" Kiyoshi knew he was falling, but he was shifting in the process, not letting himself fall without some way to stop himself. Krinn, right next to him and falling with him, was easy enough to grab as Kiyoshi leaped down the remainder of the stairs. He could see in the darkness now, being completely in the element for his NyteFyre hide. "That fool. Throwing a NyteFyre into darkness is like putting a fire dragon in an inferno." His voice had taken on a hard, rather cold tone as he crouched on the floor, several floors below when they were in the kitchen.

He sets Krinn down on the floor beside him, looking him over to make sure he wasn't injured too badly. "You wondered how I could sneak up behind you without your hearing me? There was a shadow there. NyteFyres are guardians as much as any other dragon, but we don't guard the normal things. We guard the darkness." He looks to the far walls, not seeing any windows or anything allowing access outside. "As you know, the clan has turned evil, disregarding their guardianship for raw power. When left alone, the darkness spreads." He pokes the floor with his toe-claws, testing the surface, scratching it. "This room was made with magic. I think only magic can get us out. Can you do spells?"

Krinn felt it when Kiyoshi grabbed him, but he hadn't expected it. At least, that might save him from some bruises. Those light blue eyes opened once he felt he wasn't actually falling anymore. When Kiyoshi sat him on his feet on the floor he growled a bit. His hands clenched and unclenched. Those light blue eyes of his glowing slightly in the darkness. He glanced this way and that.

"Damnit." Krinn punched the wall that was closest to him and sighed. Stepping back a bit, shaking his head and rubbing those knuckles. "I can't do magic..I'm a cursed creature and fell from the path of sorcery long ago. I can see in the dark though." Krinn grit his teeth and began pacing a bit. "I'm sorry...this is my fault...I was too trusting." Those hands clenched and unclenched in tight fists as he growled again. Mentally yelling at himself. Always to eager to let his guard down, to trust people. He felt like punching that wall again.