The Dragon's Den (Tsushui & I)

[3ngag3]

It was the sound of the rubmbling mountains that awoke Nal Rog from his unconcious slumber. He found himself in a room fit for a princess. It was adorned with treasures far and wide, some rare and some not so rare. It was as if whoever decorated this room wanted its bearer to experience the most lavish and wealthy lifestyle in the world. That wasn't the least of the battered warriors worries though. As soon as he became aware of his surroundings, he staggered to his feet, the memories of moments past flowing into him like a gentle stream. He had come to the site of a village under attack. The culprit was a something of a lizard man, though his features were more dragon like in nature. His claws were as sharp as the finest sword and his teeth like impaling spikes. There stood the Dragon Lord Ix carrying the bodies of a couple of his unfortunate victims in his large hands and facing down the warrior who had just arrived.

So began a great battle that tested the might and mettle of both beings. Metal crashed against bone, tooth pierced through heavy armor and bloodshed reigned supreme. Hours passed. The two warriors stood before each other, exhausted, bleeding, but alive and not willing to give an inch to each other. That's when Ix grinned his toothy grin and he let out a ferocious roar. Nal Rog though he was trying to be intimidating, but when the sounds of screeching could be heard from the skies above, he knew he had fallen for a trap. Minions of the sky swooped down, swiping, tackling and biting the warrior. For each one he fended off, two more would take its place. Though exhausted as he was, he continued to put up a fight until finally, they surrounded him and began carrying his limp body to their den, their castle, their home.

It was about that time that Nal Rog had lost conciousness and soon found himself in this fancy room. He also discovered that his armor, his pride and joy had been stripped from his body leaving his muscular and scarred form bare save for the leather pants that had been placed on him to mercifully keep him from being completley naked. He found it weird though that he would be placed in such a lavish room with such tattered clothes. The warrior was unaware, however that he would not be alone for very long...

 

[Tsushui]

If there is any compliment to be made towards the princess’s temperament, it is her serenity in her sleep. When taken away by dreams, Aria would not snarl, kick or mistreat anyone for the sake of it. When she is deep in slumber, she would even smile and tender you with gentle fidgets. It is to the point that Lord Ix is considering marrying his daughter while she’s unconscious and this is to no one’s surprise. For when those scarlet orbs are revealed, terror would reign another day within the castle. Today is no exception. In fact it was worse because the moment when the dragon princess had opened her eyes, she realized the absence of servants that usually attend to her whim and mercy.

With eyes glowing into a deeper shade of crimson, Aria slid her hands underneath her shoulders and lightly pushed against the mattress in a predatory stance. She could sense someone in the room but that fact did not place her in a lighter mood. The fact that she was not immediately attended to infuriated her and it was just the beginning of her day. Flinging back the silky curtains that covered her poster bed, the dragon princess paused only slightly to take in the sight before her. Not the usual staff but a half-naked man standing aimlessly in the middle of her chambers. It confused her of course, having a stranger, a human man no less with a lack of proper attire to greet her that morning and while the view was quite an enchanting one, it also exacerbated the situation.

Pulling the sheets to cover her bare body, Aria extended her wings to their full length and hovered in the air as she studied the man. Only servants and slaves are allowed in her room and if this one is not properly attired, it could only mean her father has found another sturdy victim to test her wrath. The thought of a sudden demotion of staff around her irked her and her rising anger was complemented by the warmth which she can feel bubbling from her torso. Taking a deep breath out, the smell of sulfur and ash filled thickly in the air as the frown deepened on her brows.

“You have failed at your duties at serving me.” She said with an ominous drawl. With that, she inhaled sharply jerked her neck forward with an unhappy roar, generating two molten fire balls that aimed towards Nal Rog’s head. The princess never wakes up on the right side of the bed.

 

[3ngag3]

There was a sudden movement behind Nal Rog and his attention was turned to an extravagant silk four poster bed. Someone, most likely the owner of this room was sleeping and had been awakened by his presence. For a moment, he stood there, observing, not wanting to startle the person in the bed. Through the silk sheets that covered their presence, the warrior could now see that the figure was female. Was she human? The minute she revealed herself through the sheets, it was clear she was not. Though her beauty was stunning, Nal Rog remained alert. She was part dragon after all and based on his most recent experiences with people like her, he wasn't going to take any chances asking if she were friendly. As her eyes darkened into that deeper shade of angry red, he began to back away. Unarmed as he was, he knew he would stand little chance of overpowering her in a fight.

Her wings grew and so did his concern. The warrior's nose was filled with the stench of smoke and sulfur which spewed from the woman's mouth and he waved his hand across his face to dispel the stench. As he did, she uttered a simple line. One that was rather surprising to him and showed him the reason for why he was brought here. Nal Rog began to rebut, but the sudden flash of burning air shut him up and he was forced to dive for cover. The first fireball blew through the door, leaving it as nothing more than a pile of burn splinters. The other grazed the warrior himself, singing his back as he hit the floor. Slowly, he staggered to his feet to face his adversary, a disgruntled look on his face. Was he really meant to be the plaything of this violent dragon vixen? The thought was too humiliating to bare and with a clenched fist, he suddenly pointed up at Aria and replied.

"I have no plans to be a servant to a beast such as yourself!" And before she knew it, he backed out the open doorway into the halls. In a way, he was thankful a path was opened for him to escape and he took it in earnest. Down the halls he ran, turning corners and peering through doorways, seeking an exit to this chamber of monsters. As he ran, he felt the air getting warmer and warmer, to the point where sweat was actively dripping from his brow and down his body. He couldn't understand it. What was making it so hot around here. A glance out the window answered his question. There, on the outside, he could see a volcanic chain of mountains, some dormant and some spewing a gentle stream of lava down it's base. It seemed as if an easy escape would be impossible now. The only thing to do now was run for his life...

 

[Tsushui]

His reaction somewhat surprised her. For all these years, Aria never once had to deal with a servant who not only disobeyed her but made the effort to run away. Even servants who were given more rights and were well paid by her father waited until their shift with her was over before handing in their resignation letters. Noting the direction which he had chosen to dash towards, she could help but felt the corners of her mouth twitch. Despite the fury that she was experiencing just minutes ago, Aria found amusement in desperate reaction he had displayed before her.

Aria’s chambers are situated comfortably in between two raging elements: Ice and fire. The whole floor belongs to her and the only way to get to the other levels and buildings is by flying. Judging by the turn which Nal Rog had chosen to take, he has likely found the volcano by now and the dead end is a balcony that gives one the full view of the boiling crater. Lowering her feet on the ground, she retracted her wings and dropped the sheets on the ground while reaching for a light bathrobe. No reason to worry about possible wardrobe dysfunction when dealing with an audacious man.

“So I’m a beast eh?” the dragon princess narrowed her crimson eyes in contemplation though the smile never left her lips. She knew it was meant to be an insult but it amused her more than anything else. Technicality made it true and well, no one had ever attempted to consciously anger her much less flee so quickly from her sight. If anything, this time, Aria might have just found reason to bully someone instead of relying on her random mood swings. Oh Daddy would be proud.

Securing her robe by her waist, Aria spread her leather wings once more and headed out the hole she made, noting the unsightly splinter marks but it did not worry her too much. Someone would be coming in later to check the damages around her floor. She’s always breaking something in her room every day. In any case, she is more interested in chasing after her handsome intruder to teach him an ironic lesson on manners. Leaping gracefully into the air, she tore down the hallways, getting more excited by the growing sounds of footsteps. She had seen him take part of her fiery abuse and was pleased to find him sturdier than most of her past servants.

After a few hundred feet, she sighted his still running frame. Noting the sweat that glimmered against his toned muscles, Aria can only deduce that her new slave does not have a passion for heat. Speeding up further, the steam and wind caught her black tresses and pulled them back. Heaving a breath of air, she let out another ball of fire towards the brave warrior before her.

 

[3ngag3]

Through the corridors, Nal Rog continued, looking for any hint of an escape route, anything that would bring him to a path to freedom. then he spotted a large door with a glimmer of light seeping through the bottom and at once, he hurdled towards it, hoping that it would lead to the outside. It did, though to his dismay, there would be no road or steps to which he could climb to freedom. Instead, he found himself at another dead end. His gaze turned downward to an open crater filled with lava, the heat so intense that he recoiled at first sight. Seeing that just standing there gauking would lead him nowhere, the warrior chose to go back in and find another path. Before he could though, a familiar sight came to view in front of him.

She stood before him, dressed in her morning robes, a hint of femininity in her stance. He wasn't suprised that she came after him. After all, she insulted him and ran off before she could do anything about it. There was also the fact that he was running with such vigor and haste that he make quite a sound and left the stench of his sweat behind him, an easy scent to pick up for a dragonic being such as her. He was cornered now, with nowhere to go execpt through this woman. And without any kind of weapon or shield, he was left defensless.

It was then Nal Rog gazed upon a dreadful sight. Again, she reared herself and unleashed a burning wave of fire at him. Though there seemed to be nowhere to run, the warrior found the only path of escape possible. In a sudden feat of agility, he backflipped over the balcony and fell, only to reach out and latch his hand onto the ledge as the fireball wooshed overhead. Now the warrior found himself in an even more disasterous position than before. Above him stood the dragon woman, full of rage and fury, and below, a firey death at the bottom of a lava filled crater.

 

[Tsushui]

If she were not already furious enough to boil him to death, Aria would have applauded his quick reflexes. It is not every day that you see a servant attempting to dodge her blows and succeed to such lengths. However, it is time to review the situation at hand and admiration is far from her mind. Lowering herself to the ground, the dragon princess took every luxurious second to silently gloat at his demise. The slave only has himself to blame for his situation. Sauntering slowly towards him, the shear material of silken night dress swept the floor. Finally standing before the warrior, she took a good look at him before deciding what to do with his body.

Scanning her pupils along his long and muscular frame that was decorated with scars, she guessed him to be a warrior of some sort. It would not be a surprise to her for the average person would not have accomplished the back flip like he did to dodge her attack. Her focus landed on his face and she noticed that it retained a manly hardness that can only be obtained through excruciating amounts of adventures. It brought a certain longing within her. He smelled of the outside world and it made her excited in some ways. Superficially, she felt he was worth keeping but as most things, Aria does not discriminate the exteriors of them when she is furious and his words still angered her.

Rubbing her temples now, she contemplated the outcome of boiling him in her crater bath. Chances are, it would take at least a few hours before she can replace any help and the princess is never pleasant with such idle waiting. Swinging her tail forward, she wounded the leathery appendage around his firm waist and pulled. Among everything about Aria, only her dragon traits are ever useful for survival; her tail and wings being the strongest parts of her body. When she had him half way pulled up, she looked at him with a frown and spoke with annoyance coated in her voice. “Your duty is to serve me and should you fail me again, you have only death to look forward to.”

 

[3ngag3]

Though it had only been a minute or so scince Nal Rog had been hanging precariously on the ledge, it was long enough to give him time to think over his options. The woman above him clearly had it out for him for disobeying her though he never had any intent to interact with her in the first place. He also realized how much this must have pleased that Dragon Lord that captured him. Here he was hanging on by a thread while that damned monster was probably watching on in the shadows, laughing at his predicament. Given the option of going up to face the peril above and falling to his death, he would rather choose the latter...and he did.

With little hesitation, the warrior let go of his grip on the ledge, his fate given up to death. At least that was until he found something leathery like a rope wrap around his waist and lift him to the safety of the balcony above. It was the woman! As if it were some cruel act of humility, she simply reached out and saved him! This act humiliated Nal Rog. He wanted to die a man's death and deny this dragon race the pleasure of using him as some kind of object for this woman's use. What was worse though was the fact that through his actions, he had sealed his own fate. For once he let go of the ledge, he forefit his life. When he was saved by the dragon lady, she essentially took his life and made it hers.

With nothing left but his shame, Nal Rog faced his nemesis with a look of anger in his eyes, yet his fists were not clenched nor did he attempt to resist. They were down at his sides as if to tell her that she got him. "Why?" the warrior muttered to the woman. "Why did you not simply choose to let me fall? It would have been much easier and you wouldn't have to go through the hassle of keeping me in line. Don't you know i'll eventually try to escape?" Before he could hear her reply though, the sound of footsteps could be heard approaching from behind. There were many which meant that the guards around the palace realized something was up. But amongst them were footsteps of much larger gerth. They were that of the Dragon Lord Ix come to check up on his daughter.

He stepped forward, his body covered in a blood red cloak leaving only his scaly face to be seen by Aria and Nal Rog. And apparentley, the warrior was right in thinking he was being watched by this monster of a ruler. For when he spoke, it was in direct response to the words he muttered only moments before. "It would be a shame if you left us too early," he started, his voice hissing almost like that of a reptile. "My daughter doesn't quite like her gifts fleeing in terror. It's such a hassle to rebuild what she destroys after all. And speaking of which," His gaze turned to his daughter then before he continued. "How do you like him, my dear Aria? I made sure he was alot sturdier than the last ones i've gotten you. And anyone who can give me this scar surely deserves such a title." From the cloak of Ix came a muscular and scaly arm which reached up and pointed at the scar over the eye of the Dragon Lord which was given to him courtesy of Nal Rog.

 

[Tsushui]

As the man started to have a masculine meltdown before her, Aria held an expression that crossed between amusement and disturbance. In all honesty, she could not decide which is more overwhelming. The fact that Nal Rog seem to hold such a high opinion of her to believe that she saved him out of some shred of kindness in her heart or the temptation of simply tossing him back into the boiling crater beneath them. If the latter should be considered, she would have to do it before her body graces him a giggle – there would be chaos if she portrayed even a tinge of good feeling. Watching him struggle with a face strained with humiliation, the dragon princess could not help but felt a hint of guilt for interfering with his suicide. Well it appears she has been quite insensitive but imagining her servants’ frantic faces made it difficult for the young heiress to keep a fully solemn expression.

As his heroic speech came to an abrupt end by the sounds of approaching figures, her tail lowered in relief, glad to be saved from further rants that do not belong to her. Taking a step back, Aria turned, expecting it to be the guards who were spread throughout the vicinity, alert of any commotion of sorts. It was certainly a surprise when her eyes took in the large and familiar frame of her father. Almost instantly, the muscles that wrapped around the warrior relaxed and the body was unceremoniously dropped at the edge of volcano.

Hovering quickly towards her Lord Ix’s side, Aria made a quick dive into the arms of the scaly humanoid. Ix hardly flinched as he caught her colliding form with good humor. Reaching for her ebony tresses, he caressed the strands in his hand lovingly and eyed the abandoned warrior with a smirk. Having to leave the castle so often to support the livelihood of the clan, spending any time with her daughter was uncommon. Despite her obnoxious temper, Ix had taken it upon himself for failing at providing the attention and discipline necessary. That and there seem to be a general lack of trouble-making whenever he is around. It appears that no one ever told him that parents are gods in the eyes of the child - - at least it stands true to this one little girl.

Holding her father close in an embrace, Aria perked up almost immediately when she heard his injury. Tilting her head upwards, she eyed the scar in concern as she pushed a delicate hand up to trace around the injury. Frowning deeply, the color in her eyes glowered in a deep red once more as she drew her tail out to wrap around the neck of the forgotten warrior. She answered him with certain bitterness in her voice, “He does not know his duties, my lord. He is stronger than the rest but utterly useless.”

 

[3ngag3]

There were few things in this world that brought joy to the heart of Ix other than being the ruler of his own kingdom up in the wildly temperate mountains. Holding his daughter Aria in his arms was one of them. And as she lept into his arms and he gently caressed her hair, the angry and voilent guise of the dragon lord seemed to dissapear in an instant. He looked in amusement on as she took hold of Nal Rog's neck with her tail, strangling the very life out of him and forcing him out of instinct to grab on to it, desperate to take in the precious oxygen that was being deprived. Before long, though, Ix placed a scaly hand on her shoulder, a sign that she should probably desist.

"Now, now Aria," the voice of the dragon lord bellowed out. "I only brought him here mere hours ago. It is only logical that he have no knowledge of his purpose here. Might I suggest a more...passive approach for this one? It's clear he has no fear of pain or death, so perhaps another incentive for him to comply will do?" As Ix attempted to persuade his daughter to change her mind, Nal Rog seemed to already know what his purpose here was, though he was none to happy about it. He was to serve at the foot of this woman as nothing more than a servant. A degradable task concidering the kind of spirit he showed in battle, but there was nothing he could do to complain at this point. He had given his life to her in return for sparing him. And whatever she planned to do with him, the warrior would comply.

But there were more pressing matters for Nal Rog to deal with. For one, he was still being strangled by the tail of the one he was meant to serve. His neck tightened, hoping to stay off the crushing pressure of the wirey limb. Still, it proved very difficult and he was soon struggling to breath. He could only hope that the dragon lord, the cause of this very predicament, would convince his daughter to stay her hand...or tail in this case.

 

[Tsushui]

She took her father’s words into deep consideration, whipping her tail side to side with the warrior dangling helplessly on the end for a good minute before loosening the appendage all at once. While Aria could not envision the ferocious battle that took place between Lord Ix and her new slave, it seemed apparent that she was expected to wear Nal Rog to death rather than directly causing it. ‘Fair enough’ the dragon princess thought to herself. If anything, running a slave to his grave just happens to be her specialty. “Indeed my lord.” Her voice quivered between reined anger and innocence, “And I believe I just taught him the consequences of angering me or any other female for that matter. I do not take insults lightly.”

Turning her attentions back to the scaly figure before her, the scarlet in Aria’s eyes lightened substantially as she took him by the arm to lead him away from the boiling room, fully ignoring the plight of the gasping warrior. A change of subject was in order and the princess skillfully displayed her well-bred mannerisms as she spoke with a rare tone of gentleness “So, father, how long are you planning to stay?” Being the only child of the dragon lord, Aria knew that she was being cherished like none other within the castle and the young woman shows her appreciation by appreciating the limited time allowed for interaction.

Whipping her tail, she curled the muscle around one Nal Rog’s ankles and dragged his body wordlessly across the marble floors to emphasize the first thing about being her slave: To always stay close to accomplish her every whim and fancy. If the warrior has any hopes of a better day, he had definitely started with the wrong foot.

 

[3ngag3]

As soon as the appendage loosened around Nar Rog's neck, he fell to the ground, coughing and gasping for precious air. There was no longer a need for him to worry about Aria killing him...for now anyways. And as if he were some kind of object, all the attention seemed to be taken from him and directed towards the Dragon Lord Ix. As if nothing were wrong in the world, she spoke in such a calm tone that it baffled the warriors mind. How could such a woman turn on and off an anger of which he just experienced? Perhaps it had something to do with the fact that she was partly human. It disgusted him to think that the scaly creature before him would procreate with a human woman. But there before him now was the proof of such a eloping. Proof that had now wrapped her tail around his ankles and dragged him about the castle like a rag doll. There was no way or reason for Nal Rog to resist. He was too exhausted from nearly being strangled to death and he figured he might as well learn some of the castles many passages.

In the meantime, Ix found himself being escorted away from the balcony by her daughter, curious to find out how long he would be staying this time around. It was true that despite being the ruler of his own castle, he found himself outside its walls quite often. But there was good reason for it. After all, there were many enemies outside these walls that did not hold the race of dragon folk in high regard. Without a mediator, it was up to him to be the diplomat for his entire kingdom and it took a lot of work. This time around though, things were calm enough to the point where he could spend some quality time with his daughter and oversee her education. For when his time came to leave forever, it would be up to Aria to lead the dragon folk into a new age. "I do have some time on my hands. Perhaps I should take the time to see how your education is coming along."

Ix knew how much Aria despised taking lessons. He had heard it from the many instructors that were given the task of showing her the ways of royalty. It was almost as bad as how she treated some of her servants. Every time she was lectured, she would get bored. And with that boredom came rage and destruction of precious property. Perhaps that is where this warrior would come in. If he were strong enough to wound him in battle, then perhaps he could be the focus of his daughters angst and ridicule and not the instructors.

 

[Tsushui]

At the mention of her schooling, all thoughtful plans of spending quality time with her father abruptly came to a halt as demonstrated quite literally by her feet. Despise is a much underestimated adjective when it comes to describing her view towards her educators. She loathed how the stuffy creatures became the replacement of her day’s schedule and their weak attempts of teaching her the mannerisms that she was born with. In her stubborn mind, Aria believes that her studies are utterly useless and worth the roar.

However, unwilling to cause a scene before Ix, instead of raising her voice and throwing fireballs at all who are in her way, her tail clenched harder around the ankle of the warrior and did a series of unhappy thumps and sweeps. The reaction caused a few shifty eyes to appear on the faces of the surrounding guards, knowing that any sudden movement might invite an unpleasant attack from their master’s daughter. She raised her tail and tapped forcefully against the ground before dragging the appendage across the floor and repeating the first action as if she was orchestrating a violent band behind her. As her tail received more restlessness, Aria’s mind turned like clockwork, creating abstract ideas that might satisfy her and her parent. A compromise, one might suggest, but not quite.

Soon, her wavering tail came to a stop and the dragon princess continued their walk towards her bedroom. Once before her the burnt door of her chambers, Aria could hear a partial sigh erupt from someone’s lips and squirmed haughtily for the source. The servants moved meekly before the royal pair and pushed hesitantly at the oak entrance, though almost nothing was left to hide its contents. The room, extraordinarily, was still left in one piece. Strolling towards her bed, the brunette flung Nal Rog to the corner and sat stiffly against the bed. Lifting her bright red eyes towards her father, she huffed reluctantly. “Would you at least be around when I have my classes?”

 

[3ngag3]

For Nal Rog, it was rather fascinating listening into the conversation between Aria and Ix. If it weren't for their appearances, he would have mistaken them for a simple father and daughter born of nobility. He would have been more interested if it weren't for the fact that he was being flung around like a rag doll by the woman's tail. He would crash against a wall here and collide with a standing guard there. For a moment, he would have expected them to kick him around or something while he was being dragged around, but they seemed unexpectedly calm during this situation. Perhaps they were afraid that if they did anything rash, they would be quickly reprimanded by either Ix, or worse, Aria.

After a short while and a slew of bumps and bruises were applied to Nal Rog, they finally stopped at the bedroom where Nal Rog had his first encounter with the dragon princess. Again as if he were a stuffed animal, he was flung aside into a corner of the room where he landed with a thud. The warrior let out a groan and a cough before pulling himself to a sitting position. There, he looked on as Ix tried to adress his daughter. "I can't pull you along by the hand forever, my dear daughter. I'm sure you are very capable of taking care of your business without me having to keep a watchful eye on you." In truth though, while he did enjoy overseeing Aria's studies, the dragon lord would rather do without the constant outbursts from his daughter. She could become a more frightful monster than him when she was antagonized enough. For his own safety, he would rather let the teachers or tutors or whoever else was there at the time to take the brunt of her anger.

But even with this in mind, Ix knew that he couldn't keep replacing these teachers and tutors, so a more suitable solution was needed. Perhaps this is where Aria's new servant would come in. His eyes turned towards the warrior and he gave him a low growl before turning back to his daughter. "Perhaps this one over here could accompany you to your classes. It is possible he could have some intelligence that would prove useful to you. Would that satisfy you?"

 

[Tsushui]

When her father starts to make deals with her, Aria more of less understood his intentions in the situation. She would be expected to resume back to her studies, immediately, no doubt, without the accompaniment of the older man. Instead, she is expected to replace her father figure with a new toy he bought her. How typical.

Huffing unhappily, she crossed her arms against her chest and glared at the warrior in distaste. “Fine, my lord but if he proves incompetent in his duties as a servant, I demand a replacement.” She said sulkily. Like a scorned child, she slumped against her soft, satin bed and buried her face into the pillow. “Now if you would excuse me dear father,” Aria muffled through the pillow, “I haven’t had breakfast and I need to get dressed.”

The rude awakening instigated by Nal Rog’s presence is starting to take a toll on her. In all reality, her body was not as durable as most of would think. Lack of food tends to weaken her pretty fast and Aria all but blamed it on her human mother. Frowning to herself as she thought about the woman whom she has never met, the princess flicked her tailed irritably in the air in hopes that it would hasten the retreat of her father and the guards. If there is any sore topic that should not be discussed with her, it would the non dragon part of her. She detested it with passion and often wondered how different it would have been had she been hatched by a full dragon and its lack of physical disadvantages.

Turning to her side, she attempted to produce another fireball at will, only to be baffled by the flameless smoke of sulfur and ashes that escaped into the air. Facing back into the mattress with a disgruntled groan, Aria contend herself with the thought of roasting her warrior if food did not present itself in a timely manner.

 

[3ngag3]

Ix was pleased with his daughters response. In times like this, she was rather difficult and more often than not, she would throw a bit of a hissy fit if she didn't hear exactly what she wanted to hear. Hopefully, if this warrior he captured proved himself capable of being a servant, he wouldn't have to go out and find another one. Warriors like him didn't come cheap after all. Heeding Aria's request, the dragon lord made his exit, his guards following close behind. He had business to attend to after all and he couldn't worry about his daughter all day. This left Nal Rog alone with Aria and for awhile there was an awkward silence between the two. That was until she turned to him and attempted to launch another one of her fireballs at him.

Nal Rog expected to barely get out of the way of being roasted again, but instead of seeing the crimson red flames hurling towards him, there was nothing but smoke and sulfur. The warrior was relieved and also curious as to why her fireballs didn't work now. Perhaps, he thought, it had something to do with her hunger and exhaustion. It probably wasn't the best thing to wake up first thing in the morning and start belching fire everywhere. This left him safe for the time being and perhaps it also left him with an opprotunity to talk to Aria. If he was going to be here for awhile, he might as well try to get to know the person he would be serving.

Nal Rog's mind wandered, searching for a question to ask. Something that would break the ice and open up new avenues of coversation between the both of them. Then it came to him, though it probably wasn't the best thing to ask at a time like this. Still, Aria was probably a little too exhausted to respond in violence, so the question wouldn't hurt. "Is this how things are between you and your father?" He asked in a plain tone. This question Nal Rog asked reminded him of the relationship between him and his own father when he was but a child. But that was another story altogether...

 

[Tsushui]

The man lacked tact, she would give him that much. Asking a question like that to anyone in a bad mood is never a good idea. On a good day, Aria would have sent the warrior off with a flaming rear but since she is currently powerless, the girl contends to sulking in her position and contemplated the question. It is rather interesting since she was never asked about her relationship between Lord Ix and his precious daughter. The princess herself took the doting for granted, never bothering to analyze the deeper meanings of their blood ties. Normal families, she supposed, tend to work under a more disciplinary system while in their household, it is all about negotiation. Hence, her reply was a simple and straightforward one. “Most of the time, I get what I want.”

She kept her eyes shut and imagined the how the day would proceed. Attending princess classes are not her favorite of tasks but she never once tested the consequence of skipping them. She also never had to bring a male servant as her attendee. She is more than enough there is to torture any tutor and even if Nal Rog was a warrior that faced off with her father, he has no right over her actions. Frowning as she felt the warmth of her body has started to fade from lack of strength, the young woman parted her lips once more, tempted blow fire towards the man out of whim.

Coincidentally, a light bell sounded through the room where the doors of the dumbwaiter slid open, revealing a tray of breakfast items before them. There was a pause that lingered in the room before Aria turned over to her back and stared at Nal Rog expectantly with a haughty expression.

 

[3ngag3]

Aria's answer to the question was both expected and unexpected at the same time. It figured that she would be expected to get what she wanted. She was a princess after all and like most princesses, they were spoiled and showered with whatever tickled their fancy at the time. What Nal Rog didn't expect though was that one simple reply. He thought surely that she would have had more so say about the relationship between her and her father, but alas, nothing. He was left with silence and another hard gaze, her facial expressions telling him that she might have wanted to try and fry him out of spite again though she seemed to lack the energy to do so.

Minutes progessed and the warrior began to think about how he would be spending his days in this castle. Would he simply be the eternal target of her occasional wrath, or would he be doing something more? Perhaps she would use him for labor or sex or even a simple foot stool. The sound of a light ping snapped him out of his daze and he looked around to see where the sound came from. His attention turned towards a dumbwaiter, its doors opened to reveal a plate of food and he knew then that it was time to eat. But who's time was it? A quick glance at Aria answered his question and with a sigh, Nal Rog rose to his feet and approached the food tray, staring at it with intent. After observing the food items, he picked up the tray and approched the woman on the bed with it. She didn't seem to be in any hurry to sit up and eat, so he questioned her about it.

"You want to eat in bed or is there a place you'd like to go to eat this stuff?"

 

[Tsushui]

While her expectant glance was able to push the idle movements of her most recent slave, his lack of service experience is enough to make her cringe in displeasure. Readjusting her body so that her back is against the headboard of her bed, she tapped the side of her bed impatiently. Leveling a hard gaze at the full-grown man, she huffed as she remembered her promise to her father. “Firstly, you are to address me as Mistress. Secondly, you are to feed me wherever I chose to linger. In this case, I do not intend to leave my bed.”

As demanding as Aria sounded, to anyone else who worked for the castle, the princess is actually being decent, especially considering her habit of abusing her powers on the staff. Maids dread the days where they have to clean her chambers while she is using the vicinity, servants fear being toasted before the end of the day when they are unable to cater to her needs and wants at the pace which she expected, and there are the teachers. Teachers who make up one of the oldest and wisest of their race, found the young heir of Lord Ix, a true terror who has not found a good outlet for her potential.

So, in all essence, Nal Rog should be very grateful at that point. Aria has not even lighted the room into cinders to emphasize the simple instructions that she had laid out. The sounds of water in the joined bathroom broke the silence that paused between them. Her bath was drawn at the same time every morning so that she may prepare herself immediately after breakfast. At this rate though, if she finished in time to find herself relaxing in cold water, she would be frying the warrior like a hot dog. To help him further in his job, the brunette tilted her head and parted her mouth to aid him in his ‘training.’ At this point, Ix cannot say that she did not try to help the man understand his duties.

 

[3ngag3]

Though Nal Rog was satisfied with Aria's response, the look of distain she gave him and the tone of her voice irked him quite a bit. For him, she should be lucky enough to have a servant that could last more than a day without being turned to ashes with a mere outing of breath. And he didn't even want to get started on the whole 'Mistress' thing. During his time as a hunter of monsters, he was always used to women subjecting themselves to him for his deeds. For he was the master of women and not the other way around. But then again, none of them were born of a dragon like this one. And he still had his oath in which he had to uphold. With that in mind, the warrior pulled up a chair to the bed and sat beside the princess, the plate of food in his lap with expectations that she would reach over and start consuming.

But oh, what little he knew of this dragon princess.

Rather than perform the simple task of sitting up to eat, Aria instead opted for the infant's route. Was she really serious? Did she really intend for Nal Rog to spoon feed her like some child? It was so much to bear that it brought a look of suprise to his face. And as this preposterous thought raced through his mind, the sound of racing water nearby could be heard. The warrior could only assume that it was the bath being drawn for the princess and it would be soon time to wash up. With her mouth still open expecting food to be inserted and the prospect of having her upset with him for having to take a cold bath, a low sigh emitted from the man's mouth and he took a fork to the food before replying to her, "Yes...Mistress..." Nal Rog scooped up as much as he could on the small fork and blew on it to make sure that it wasn't too hot for Aria's tongue, though concidering that she could breath fire, it was probably a moot point. He then leaned over and slowly inserted the food stacked utensil into her mouth.

 

[Tsushui]

Had she not already been accustomed to the figurative notion of being spoon-fed for all her life, Aria would have laughed at the look of incredulity written on Nal Rog’s face. Without much thought, she wrapped her long forked tongue around the silvery utensil and slipped the contents delicately in her mouth. The first bite produced a pleasant sensation in her abdomen and took away most of the discomforts she had previously experienced. Tilting her head away from her feeder, she lifted a hand and blew lightly to test the effects. True enough; a small flame was generated by the heat and reactive gases within her, licking the surface of her palm.

She returned her gaze towards the warrior and waited patiently for the subsequent bites, her ill will temporarily subdued by the prospects of being full. Opening her mouth once more, she took what was expected until she could eat no more. The deep scarlet previously present in her eyes have lightened substantially as she slipped out of her soft bed and headed straight to the connecting room, where her steaming bath awaits her. Remembering her new servant, she paused by the doorway and leveled her gaze towards his before answering in an expectant tone, “You are to wash me.”

With that, she returned towards the direction where a large marble pool was drawn out for Lord Ix’s precious daughter, combined with special scents that served to calm her mood before the day starts. Tugging lightly on her bathrobe, she allowed the silky garment to slide off her shoulders and fall in a pool around her feet. Slowly, she descended down the steps of the pool and sighed with pleasure as the waves enveloped her petite form. Once neck-deep, she dunked under and waited for her servant to do his duties and made a mental note to fry him the next day if he were this slow.

 

[3ngag3]

Watching Aria eat was like watching a lizard drinking water to Nal Rog. Seeing her feed the way she did made him doubt any notion that there was any humanity to her other than her appearance. It was only bolstered by the fact that as soon as she swallowed her food, she began to breath a light flame from her mouth, a sign that her strength was returning. He continued to feed her until she had enough and when she did, he set down the tray of food and waited to see what she would do next. Knowing her, she might have tried to test her revived vigor on him, but she seemed to have other things on her mind. One of which was to bathe. Without a word, she slipped passed him and straight into the washroom where the steam from the water rose into the air like a thick cloud.

Nal Rog followed shortly behind the princess stopping only to be reminded that one aspect of his servitude was to wash away any filth that might have gotten on her throughout her day. Of course, the warrior didn't need to be reminded of this. In fact, he knew he probably had to anyway when he first heard the first wave of water hitting the bathtub. And what a tub it was, too! It looked more like a hot spring than anything else, decorated down to the very last tile. Nothing less from the daughter of a dragon lord. But the true jewel, as usual, was Aria herself. The bathrobe slinked to the ground to reveal her curvacious and nude form reminding Nal Rog that she was indeed a woman.

As soon as she stepped into the bath, the warrior looked around for anything that could be identified as a sponge or a cloth and once he found that nice squishy and yellow object, he returned to her, sitting to face her back just as she raised her head from the water below. It would have been easier for him to actually get in the water with her, but Nal Rog doubted that she would want anyone other than herself enjoying the nice hot bath. Thus, he remained out, his muscular form hovering over her and ready to clean. But where would he start? Aria had given no command as to where he would start washing her, and with her attitude, any error in judgement could result in a hot foot. Good thing there was this water to dive into should it come to that.

After a moment of wondering, Nal Rog decided to start with her back and shoulders. He dipped the sponge into the water and upon placing a hand upon her right shoulder, he began to bring it about her neck and back, going up and down in a soft, yet firm motion.

 

[Tsushui]

As Nal Rog got closer with a washing tool in hand, Aria slinked herself closer towards the edge and watched him warily with lowered eyes lest he found the audacity to strike her. After all, most warriors would have chosen death over humiliation and servitude. Despite the noble declaration of despair for her seemingly heroic act in their earlier occurrence, the reaction was still too baffling for her to accept. If all warriors operate under the same pride, it is a wonder how Lord Ix has not exterminated them all by now. It was only logical, that should pride be the fall of humankind, then the world would have been run by the might of the beasts.

The thought carried on for a while until he touched her with the sponge. The instant feeling of gratification from his tender rubs was enough for make her lose her guard. Parting her lips, she arched backwards against his firm arms and sighed blissfully. Trust a large and dangerous man to give one of the best massages in the world. Her scarlet eyes peered open in a glassy trance as she observed the fine details of the sparkling ceilings. Whether it was from the comfort of Nal Rog’s hands or her natural appreciation for expensive jewels, the environment succeeded in loosening her tongue. Reaching a hand over the back of his neck, she pulled him closer towards her and studied the hard lines on his face. There was a moment of pause before the dragon princess spoke with all seriousness, “What is your name?”
Timing cannot be more inappropriate; before she could register an answer, there came a sudden and very apparent noise of the opening and slamming of doors that led to her bath. Momentarily forgetting the warrior in her hand, her body produced an involuntary jerk followed by a series of motions that skipped her brain. As the loud footsteps drew nearer and the figure started to emerge from the foggy room, Aria tightened her grip and yanked her arm down. Had the princess given it more time and less thought about her modesty (though, considering the presence of her very male slave, one has to question her contradicting ideals about that), she would have heard cheery voice that might have prevented the attempted judo throw.

“Good morning Princess.” The slender figure chirped is the steam cleared, revealing a young woman with curious purple tresses. She had a look of mischievousness as she gave a slight curtsey towards her mistress and long time friend. “Pardon the intrusion but Lord Ix wanted me to inform you that your new tutors would be arriving shortly.”

 

[3ngag3]

For awhile, things seemed quite calm in the bathing quarters. There was no violence, no screaming and especially no fireballs being tossed around. For a short fleeting moment, Nal Rog began to enjoy himself as he bathed Aria who seemed to enjoy herself quite a bit. She wasn't sneering, snarling or snapping at him with one of her cold remarks and instead was simply looking up at the ceiling with a look of bliss on her face. To the warrior, it was no suprise. He knew his way around the female form and he was fortunate that she only had wings and a tail, otherwise, he wouldn't know how else to go about scrubbing her down. For a moment, he lost himself in the joy of bathing Aria and that's when he felt something tugging at his neck.

His first reaction was to pull back, thinking that he had perhaps done something wrong and incited the woman's wrath. However, even the simple motion of pulling him inches closer proved just how suprising her strength was and he offered no more resistance. Even more suprising was the fact that she didn't really do anything afterwards. She simply gazed into his eyes and examined his face thuroughly as if she were trying to discover some deeper meaning in his appearance. Then came that cold and callous voice of hers which echoed a rather unusual request of him. His name. Was Aria really serious? Had her attitude changed so suddenly like the boiling water to steam? It had to be some kind of trick on her part. But the more he gazed into those beautiful eyes of hers, he thought more and more that perhaps she was being sincere in her remark. Maybe she really did want to know more about him other than the fact that he was a simple servant.

"My name?" Nal Rog uttered quietly. "It's..."

His response was cut short for two reasons. One was the sound of footsteps approaching the bathroom. Someone had decided to intrude on this tender moment and knowing what he did about Aria, she wouldn't be happy about it. Second was her reaction to said footsteps. Rather than simply turn her head to see who was approaching, her hand jerked downwards, taking the warrior's head with her. His face plunged into the water then and instead of the sensation of warm water coming over him, he felt a searing heat similar to that of the woman's fireballs. How could he not notice it then? The water was boiling hot and much more intense than any normal human could take. Nal Rog's body flailed around then, trying to break the grip of Aria and pull his head out of there before he was boiled alive or drowned.

It took a few seconds of desperate struggling, but finally, he slipped out of her grip and pulled his head out with a loud gasp for air. He rolled over to one side, holding his face and coughing up water. After the initial sensations wore off of his face, he looked up to see who had caused him to once again regret the fact that he was ever captured and found something unexpected before him. She was human or at least that's what he thought her to be. She was in fact of the dragon race much like Aria, but of a lower class. Not quite matured to have wings and a tail, but still born of both a dragon and a human. Of course, Nal Rog had no knowledge of this. Instead, he wondered if this woman had shared the same fate as he.

 

[Tsushui]

As a loud splash was heard to commemorate the unannounced actions of both her maid and herself, Aria was slightly too caught up in the moment to release her hand in a timely manner. Having never really experienced a world beyond the walls of the castle, the whole routine became a messy yet interesting learning experience. Humans cannot seem to swim very well nor can they withstand warm water. Part of her wanted to try out his talents at flying but that idea would have to be reserved on another day when she is sure that she would not ‘let go.’

Then there was the other reason as Juliet had so delicately announced in her own special way. Frowning at the said information, the princess promptly exited the waters and grabbed a deliberately placed bathrobe. Sliding the fabric over her damp skin, she did a simple knot on her side and tugged her hair in place. Taking a quick glance towards the gasping warrior, Aria turned her attentions towards the troubling maid. There was a certain unspoken awkwardness conveyed between them but not so much guilt as one might expect. No, the princess was known for her dark temper and never has her conscience sunk in to rethink her personal rights and status. Rather, it was the sudden miscalculated reaction that bothered her.

It was very apparent that she still has not gotten over the fact that anything less draconic still dwells within her blood and for that, Aria found herself holding a childish yet determined grudge against the one who bore her. With narrowed eyes, she focused on her grinning friend before snorting and heading back into the bedroom. No use getting mad at the girl when she’s not even naturally afraid of her. She blames Clovis but that woman is an entirely different story altogether.

Within a few steps, her dutiful maid had swept before her and drew open a door into a large closet of clothes and accessories. “What would my lady desire for today’s wardrobe?”

“Something that can speed up the day” Aria replied snappily.

Leaning against the entrance of the closet, a knowing glint flashed in her eyes and the purple-haired woman began to pace slowly around the small vicinity. “In order to speed up the forces of time, my mistress, you would have to slow down what is experienced by others.” Turning towards the warrior who had barely showed signs of budging from the bathroom floor, she grinned impishly. “May I suggest my lady choose something for the new help? Something which might be considered appropriate for finishing lessons?”

 

[3ngag3]

It was a surprise for Nal Rog to see this new arrival grinning in the face of what could be concidered the most violent women in the world. But it was a much bigger shock when said woman took no real action against her. It was almost a slap in the face, an insult, one would say to the warriors masculenity. How was is that this human woman (or what he thought to be a human woman) could stand in the face of such a creature with no fear of retruibution of any kind? Did she have some kind of special power that he did not immidetley notice? Or was it that she had been here so long that there was an inkling of respect shown by Aria for her long service to the dragonic race?

These thoughts burned in his mind as he sat up and peeked out of the doorway at the two as they had their little conversation. It was something about wardrobe which was probably not surprising seeing as they both were women and required some kind of feminine touch to add to their daily life. But then the conversation turned rather weird once Nal Rog was brought up. He didn't quite understand what this woman had in mind for him. There seemed to be some underlining purpose to her words other than to suggest that he be dressed and take lessons which he knew nothing of, nor ever needed for that matter.

Sure, the warrior could probably use more than just a pair of leather pants that he had been wearing for days on end, but what could there be to wear for a human male? When he looked upon the dragonic sentries that roamed the castle, they were clad in armor and undergarments that seemed to fit only their scaly forms and no other. For a moment, Nal Rog imagined himself in such attire and it looked so rediculous in his mind that a small tint of pink graced his cheeks as his gaze turned towards the ground before him.