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(Lunetta & Rook10) Of Scales and Gold

"Ah, too fond of women for his own good." Vinithrax commented about her ex-boyfriend. She looked rather amused when she turned and looked back at him. "Yes yes I'm sure it's very funny. Hmph!" He said with a bit of agitation, nobody liked being laughed at, especially not dragons. When she started going on about corporate America Vinithrax was completely lost again until she said car company which brought him a bit back up to speed. He knew what a car was so he could figure the rest out.

He had just thought he was beginning to understand this new world when she started to explain the TV. "Electronic." He sounded the word out loud, the concept lost to him, he knew what lightening was but the idea of using it to power something hadn't been thought of until well after his entrapment. He jumped back a bit as she thumbed the small, multicolored object in her hand and the formerly dark screen came to life with light and sound. "Fascinating. Do all humans these days practice witchcraft?" He asked in the most serious tone, pointing at the remote and then the TV.

When she said that he could control it through the stubby wand though he was most perplexed. Taking it in his hand he recognized some of the symbols as numbers and arrows but most were lost to him. He clicked one and it took him the history channel that was running a World War II documentary. It was showing some of the real time footage of the bombs being dropped on Japan and Vinithrax felt a bit of a chill run up his spine as he watched the strange contraption fly through the air much differently than he would and then what seemed like a strange cloud followed by a recording of the actual explosion. "What is...all of this?" He asked waving his hand back and forth at the screen, not knowing what exactly to point at or ask about specifically, only that it looked and felt dangerous, tragic even. For all his talk of death and destruction back in his cave, this was something on a scale even he couldn't comprehend.
 
Genevieve found Vinithrax's fascination with the most basic of things in their world very entertaining. She admitted it to herself, but she took certain things for granted. His curiosity was a intense reminder that he has been absent of the world for over a thousand years. He didn't see the progressive changes that occurred in society, the change that happened in the world. She found herself feeling almost sorry for him, because while yes he may learn, but he very well could be the only dragon left, and was awoken in a strange world, around strange beings.

It must be... lonely.

She chuckled softly, "I suppose you can say it's like witchcraft," Genevieve answered, crossing her arms. "It's all apart of the realm of technology and science, which some argue can be a type of magic. I know it may seem like a lot now... but you'll learn more and more," she reassured as best as she could. Despite the fact he scared her half to death earlier, she wasn't going to make his whole modern experience a living nightmare... not that she really could if she wanted to.

Perking up when he flipped to the documentary, her face turned more solemn as she watched the first hand account and footage of the bombing of Hiroshima. "History. Human history isn't the most grand or justified. As much as people want to say they care, the human race can be very selfish. That clip is from a war between humans, different countries fought in a huge battle called World War II. So many people died from that attack, and the war in general. It happened years before I was born, my grandparents were alive during that time, but it's not something they like to talk about," she explained. Hoping to lighten the mood, she averted her attention to the kitchen. "Are you hungry? Thirsty?" Genevieve asked, helping herself to a glass of juice.
 
War. He was not surprised to find that humans were still at their bickering. He had watched scores of men clash together and tear each other to pieces because another human had told them to. He couldn't be so judgmental though, for the right price any dragon could be persuaded to join sides and Vinithrax had taken payment in exchange for his services more than once. Still, what he was watching, it was different. He wasn't certain how to put it. There was no blood, no fighting, just...destruction.

The mention of food snapped him from his thoughts and he turned to watch Genevieve retrieve a container from some sort of upright chest with a light inside. He decided to save the question this time, if he stopped to inquire about every single oddity in this new world then he would never find his treasure. "That would be splendid. That deer hardly put a dent in my appetite." He Paused for a moment seeing the look on her face. "Oh fear not, this body does not require as much food as my natural form. This is much more efficient." He beat his broad chest with one fist, showing how sturdy he was.
 
Genevieve couldn't help but chuckle a bit after imagining a large spread of food before her new guest, enough to satisfy a family but it was all for him and his appetite. "Well that's a relief, I don't think I'd be able to store as much food to keep you satiated," she quipped, reaching for a few things in the fridge. Being this was his first day in the world, she decided to make a little bit of everything to see what he liked best. It surprised her that she actually seemed to care about making him remotely comfortable.

Genevieve pulled her hair back and upright, into a ponytail. Taking out a skillet and heating it, she began to chop up a number of ingredients on a board, putting on some music from the kitchen radio. While she prepared a meal, a thought crossed her mind. "So, how big of a treasure are we talking about?" she inquired, looking over at him from the kitchen. "I mean... I should be offered some kind of payment for helping you out." She wasn't swimming in money after all.
 
Vinithrax had moved over to the radio, examining it from all sides without really touching it. Were there sprites trapped inside of it? He thought it unlikely that anyone had managed to trap a sprite and make it play...well he assumed this was supposed to be music. To him it was very different, like everything today. His senses were still very acute in his human body if not quite as potent as in his natural form. The scent of the ingredients interested him and worried him at the same time. He had never been one much for human food, they did strange things to the meat and sometimes burnt it. Still though he would humor the human, for now.

Mention of his treasure's size caused him to turn towards her. Dragons were always ready to boast of the size of their hordes and he was just about to start in on the piles of gold, chests of uncut gems, enough golden bars to build a small house. That was until she mentioned payment, his eyes narrowed and his expression soured. Humans, always so greedy and untrustworthy. Always motivated by wealth. Still he supposed she deserved some motivation, something to spur her forwards other than his personal favor, as if that wasn't invaluable itself.

"Dragons begin gathering a horde from the day they leave the nest. I was about five thousand years old when I got trapped in my cave so that's five thousand years of gathering. I suppose you deserve a portion, a small portion, once we recover it in full." He emphasized the word small, jealously guarding his treasure from her greedy mind.
 
Genevieve dropped the chopped up ingredients into the oiled skillet, where it began to sizzle. She was cooking a sautéed dish of chicken, peppers and onions along with some rice as well, practically a staple in her home. She looked over at him, noticing the shift in mood when she had asked him about some kind of payment. Her arms crossed under her breasts as she stared at him.

"I'm not asking for a significant amount," she reassured before she took a sip of her apple juice before offering him the glass for a sip, before she'd offer to pour him some. "I mean, I deserve something. After all, I'm going to have to take you shopping, buy you some clothes... and shoes." Genevieve turned her attention back to the pan, adjusting the heat and mixing the ingredients to fully cook on either side, seasoning it in the process. "And I'm not a terrible cook, so that should be some kind of plus in your book," she smiled a bit.

"So, this... horde of yours. Was anyone else aware of it? If it's as large amount it couldn't be a single person on their own." Genevieve had so many questions, but she decided taking it was step at a time would be ideal for now. She served their food on separate plates, taking it to the dining room table along with utensils for the both of them.
 
Vinithrax sniffed at the offered glass of juice. It was fruity but not like wine, there was no alcohol to it. He sipped at it, rubbing his tongue against his teeth at the taste. It was sweet, a little thick but not unpleasant. He experimented with it some more, ignoring Genevieve's justifications for compensation. She was right of course but Vinithrax didn't have to admit that. "Everyone knows where there is a dragon there is gold." He answered her question as he followed her to the table and sat where she ha placed one of the plates. It was interesting to see how utensils had changed. "These used to have only two prongs." He commented, examining one of the forks. "As for anyone in particular, I'm not certain who placed the seal on my cave, had to have been some wizard, probably a group of them judging by how long it lasted. My gold was there when I went to sleep though, of that I am sure."
 
Genevieve served herself her own glass before sitting down at the empty seat before she began to help herself. She chewed thoughtfully, watching as he examined the fork, at least she didn't need to worry about having to show him how to use it in that case. She took another bite, listening to Vinithrax. He must have made some enemies... or some individual was simply greedy and selfish and wanted his treasure for themselves. Genevieve had no idea where she planned on even starting in her assistance, before today she had no idea that dragons even existed! Now there was one, living and breathing, sitting at her dinner table in his human form.

It wasn't going to be easy, but she hoped with some stroke of luck they would get some kind of lead. "Do you think there are any more of your kind left? Maybe hiding amongst humans?" she asked, taking another bite of her meal. It was possible, a dragon that assimilated into society and was careful about showing their true form. What other mythical beings walked amongst them?
 
Vinithrax stopped examining the fork and looked at her. He hadn't given much thought to the idea of other dragons. "The last time I saw one of my kind was...fifty years before I was trapped." He thought back to that day, not all that long ago really. She had been such a lovely shade of red, the way the fire had danced inside her, causing her to almost sparkle. The memory had an effect on his human anatomy but Vinithrax paid the offensive bulge no mind as he stabbed a piece of chicken with his fork and placed it in his mouth. He chewed for a moment, pondering it. Not dry, not raw, not overly seasoned. It was actually good, he had to give Genevieve credit, she had not lied about her skills in the kitchen.

"We tend to keep our distance, especially males. There are some places more densely populated than others...or their were. If there are any others out there then they must be hiding and there must be a reason. Clearly you humans have populated far more than we ever intended. You multiply worse than rabbits." It wasn't exactly true but rabbits didn't band together and form hunting parties so to Vinithrax it was very much worse than rabbits. He ate another piece of chicken, trying to avoid the idea that he might be the last dragon.
 
So, it was possible he may or may not be the last of his kind. She wasn't sure how to take such an idea, if she found out she was the last human, Genevieve was certain she'd feel a sense of isolation, loneliness, she wondered if that were the case for him. He didn't seem to dwell on it, or show his opinion on it, thus she ended the topic right then and there. It wasn't long before she finished her plate, draining the last of her juice before she patiently waited for Vinithrax to finish.

"Makes sense, territory and all," she murmured. She laughed a bit at his comparison of humans to rabbits, something she found true. "I agree, we do. We're grossly overpopulated, I admit that... which is probably what influenced my decision of not wanting to have kids."

"I'm going to wash up and then we can head out to the store, get you some clothes," the brunette suggested, stretching her arms above her head. "You'll need a bit of a wardrobe if you're going to be spending time in this form." When Vinithrax finished his meal, she took the dishes and utensils, washing them and setting them to dry on the rack.
 
Vinithrax also remained quiet as he ate. The chicken was good but he mostly avoided the vegetables. Grains of rice made it in here and there but, aside from an experimental bite, he left the peppers and onions untouched. If he didn't have to eat anything other than meat he wasn't going to, that was something reserved for playing the part of human. He found her comment about children curious. Who was going to take care of her when she was old and feeble? In part he understood why humans insisted on so many children, it was the need for labor on farms and the high mortality rate. But looking around it was very clear to Vinithrax that farming was no longer the primary occupation. He supposed it also made sense since Genevieve didn't have a husband. Bastard children, though there were many, were not favored in society, he couldn't imagine that having changed.

He finished shortly after she did, leaving his plate in the sink, not having watched her operate it and having no concept of modern plumbing. "What is wrong with these clothes? They're quite comfortable." He rubbed the fabric of the pants between his fingers, much softer than the scratchy wool clothing he remembered. What had she called it? Cotton, that was it, he liked cotton.
 
Genevieve had started walking towards the bathroom but paused at his question. "Hey, I'd love to wear sweats all day too," she quipped before adding, "Those are the only pair of clothes I got that would fit you. Depending on where we may be looking you'll have to dress the part." Indeed, if they were going to public places, they would have to blend in, not draw as much attention to themselves. A man in the middle of a square dressed in sweats during the summer, barefoot, was unusual. "We want to blend in your case after all... I'll be right out." She was eager to wash off the sweat from her hike earlier.

She quickly stripped down once in the bathroom, turning on the shower head and hopping in. Genevieve didn't linger too long in the shower, washing herself from head to toe but stood there thinking about her current situation. She has a dragon in her home! Well, in human form but a dragon nonetheless. This was in no way a dream, but real life. Are their other creatures and beings in this world that humans always thought were fantasy? How come she never learned them in history? It didn't make sense, there must have been something that happened.
 
Vinithrax had started to follow her before realizing she was closing the door behind her. It confused him for a moment before his ear picked up the rustling of clothing being shed. He remembered that humans had an aversion to public nudity, hence the invention of sweat pants which seemed like a fair deal to him. He was more perplexed when he hear the running water, where was it coming from? Did she have a waterfall in there? Why didn't he hear it sooner? Strange.

He decided to wait for her but was rather tired of standing, he noticed the couch, very different looking from the chairs and strangely resembling leather though with a much brighter sheen to it. He sat on one end experimentally. "Lord this is comfortable!" He exclaimed out loud as he let his body sink in. Why hadn't someone thought of this centuries ago!? He was going to have to get something like this to add to the hoard, even if only a human sized one for him to sit in when he was in the mood though a larger cushion would be wonderful to sleep on in his natural state.
 
Once Genevieve washed up, which threatened to lull her into a more relaxed state, she stepped out of the bathroom wrapped in a fluffy white towel. She was about to walk into her room, but from where she was she could see Vinithrax laying on the couch, looking comfortable as ever. It made her grin a bit before she headed into her bedroom, closing it behind her. Rummaging through her dresser, she pulled out something comfortable since they were making a stop at the mall.

She pulled on a white tank top and a pair of denim shorts, slipping on her chuck taylors before stepping out of her room, running a comb through her hair until it was completely detangled. "Alright, let's get going."
 
Vinithrax was too caught up in the couch to notice Genevieve's chuckling. It wasn't until she announced their departure that he caught himself and quickly tried to save face in front of the human female. "Yes, ahem, indeed." He agreed while clearing his throat. He followed her back down the stairs, briefly wondering why humans still had such an aversion to nudity when their clothing had become to revealing, then he remembered that humans were ridiculous creatures and spending too much time wondering why they did the things they do was bag for one's health.

They got back into her car where Vinithrax noticed for the first time how Genevieve utilized her seat belt thus prompting him to begin experimenting with the strap as well and eventually finding the clasp for it to be inserted into. It did seem a bit odd but remembering how fast they had been driving before it did make some sense, almost like strapping one's self into a horse saddle before jousting.

The outlet mall was not far and as soon as they found parking Vinithrax followed Genevieve inside where they were promptly greeted by a yipping Pomeranian sticking it's head out of some woman's purse. It seemed to have it's eyes fixed on Vinithrax as it growled and barked in spite of it's owner's placating head pats. Vinithrax just furrowed his brow, trying to understand why and for what purpose a dog so small would have ever been bred...and why was it in a bag?
 
Genevieve slipped her handbag over her shoulder, locking the apartment door once they both stepped out, only to make the familiar path downstairs. She unlocked the car door for the both of them, immediately slipping on the seat belt, nodding in approval at Vinithrax when he placed his on. "Yeah, it's an important habit... the cops, I mean, the authorities that govern vehicular use can fine me for it.," she hoped the terminology made sense. She noted to make a habit to keep the slang to a minimum for now at least.

They traveled on a new Road towards the mall, a large complex with dozens and dozens of stores that ranged from pretty much anything one could expect. Genevieve led the way, relieved it wasn't packed like it normally was. She was already running a couple of stores in mind, deciding to start off at one that had your general clothes. She noticed Vinithrax's perplexed look and laughed a bit. "Yeah, I prefer bigger dogs myself. Some people go a little extra in the treatment of their pet, to some it's their family. Unconditional love and all," Genevieve mentioned before she walked into the first store.

The clothing had varying styles, not conforming to one, which would allow Vinithrax to chose whatever he liked most. She gave him suggestions, an male employee stopped over to ask if they needed any assistance, more than willing to help with sizing and everything. "If you don't mind," Genevieve told him politely. "Do you see anything you like, Vini?" Refraining from smiling at the nickname.
 
Vinithrax continued to glare disapprovingly at the rodent of a dog. "Annoying is more like it." He muttered as they continued on. Her personally didn't favor dogs, they were annoying animals to shake without taking to the air which in turn made you very visible to everything else. They always made a ruckus around dragons almost as if they knew how much it annoyed them.

The store they walked into was interesting, lots and lots of clothing, some folded in stacks, others hanging and more still displayed on small statues without faces. All of it seemed terribly bright and with strange patterns. Still he wandered about the clothing section, pushing shirts aside on the racks and examining pants. He noticed Genevieve had picked one or two articles as a suggestion but all in all the entire trip seemed very boring to him. He pushed one dark shirt aside and was taken aback momentarily by the serpentine emblem on it, jagged and oriental. It reminded him of a trip he once took and the curious shape of the dragons there. "Well...I suppose our image has persisted through the years in one way or another." He muttered to himself as he left the shirt there on the rack, a little disgusted.

He didn't pay the floor worker any mind, he was clearly a servant of some sort, but eventually did pick out a pair of jeans, a forest green T-shirt, a similar white one, hovered for a moment over one rack with various shirts with different emblems on them and words like "Army Strong." and "The few, the Proud, the Marines."

"Are these other car companies?" He turned to Genevieve and asked as he pulled a little at the chevron on his shirt.
 
Genevieve couldn't help but be somewhat amused at Vinithrax's attitude toward the whole shopping experience. He probably found all of this exceptionally trivial when he could change himself into a might beast that could breath fire and whose size rivaled some of the cities larger buildings. It was necessary, that much was certain. Her suggestions were often met with silence, which annoyed her slightly. Geez, he had been the same thing, has to be a male thing... "You know, the quicker you find something the quicker we can leave," she mumbled under her breath, slipping the hanger back onto the rack as she followed after Vinithrax, scanning the store.

She smiled at the sales associate, "We're okay, thanks. If we need anything, I'll let you know." With that, he was dismissed. Her gaze fixated on the military centric gear. "Ah, no, those aren't car companies. They are the branches of military that are apart of the countries armed forces. Those... I guess you can say are their 'house emblems', like that had back in the day. Each branch has their symbol, motto and work. People where them as support even if they aren't a soldier."

Genevieve took hold of the clothes he picked out. "We can check out a few more stores, if you find anything you'd like just let me know," she mentioned, heading towards the cash register to pay. Once Vinithrax settled with what he wanted, they wandered the mall towards a few other stores, passing by book stores, electronics and the like. "So, did you not spend a whole lot of time in your human form?"
 
Vinithrax furrowed his brow yet again and followed behind her. Everyone seemed very obsessed with their symbols. Granted it wasn't so different from his time, what with banners and statues and all, but to have it on everyday clothing seemed a little too narcissistic. He shrugged though and continued on.

"It's quite a pain really. The human shape is so limited. You have almost no natural defenses, you're soft and naked. Too much heat or not enough of it and you lose the ability to function. Though I suppose that last bit is often due to lack of spirit but regardless, compared to a-" He caught himself, remembering that in his own time it wasn't wise to make known one's true shape to all who might be listening. "Compared to what I am." He began again a bit quieter. "Your bodies leave much to be desired. Besides there was rarely much of a point. This shape is for hiding, making everyone believe I'm one of you, it serves no other purpose and the only humans with more than maybe two sets of clothes were those who were vastly more wealthy that the commoners."

They continued on, passing by a Shoe Department, causing Vinithrax to stop. "What are those?" He said pointing at displays of bright running shoes next to brown and black work boots. The closest thing he knew of were more like cloth or leather wrappings or armored boots. Not the molded and laced shapes of today's footwear.
 
Genevieve listened to Vinithrax as she walked along the shopping center, keeping on the pathway as she scanned and tried to figure which store would be their next stop. She couldn't help but chuckle a bit at his words, "Geez, why don't you kick me a little more while you insult me?" she replied sarcastically, "Much to be desired? Don't worry, you don't have to sleep with me, just have to deal with me until you find what you're looking for, this is all temporary." There was probably a little more bite in her tone than was needed. They stopped at a shoe department store, all at reasonable prices too.

"Those are shoes... footwear. Protects our feet," she informed, standing in front of the window with him, able to see his own reflection off the glass. "Depending on what your activity usually dictates what kind of shoes you wear. Earlier today I was wearing boots like those," she gestured towards the pair of hiking boots, "They're waterproof, provide traction and keep you sturdy. Those brightly colored ones are for running and exercise, and those..." she pointed at the pair of high heeled stilettos, "are man's invention to make a woman's ass look amazing and struggle to walk all at the same time."

"Come on, you're gonna need a pair, it's not normal for people to walk around barefoot."
 
Vinithrax rolled his eyes. He hadn't mean it like that but clearly that's how Genevieve was taking it. He cringed a bit at the heels she pointed out, they looked horribly misshaped and he couldn't understand why anyone would try to force their feet inside something so awkward. Nonetheless he followed her inside before adding, "I do not wish to wear heels." In case there was any misunderstanding.

He followed here around to the men's section filled with various styles of casual, business, and functional footwear in addition to a curious contraption somewhat shaped like foot. True to his nature, Vinithrax promptly sat on the ground and placed his foot into it, it's shape and markings making it easy to figure out it's function. "Huh, apparently I'm a size fourteen....is that bad?" He asked still holding the object to his foot and looking up at Genevieve.

He did feel rather bad still about his comment and how she took it, her tone hadn't been lost on him, not entirely. He stood back up and picked up one of the tennis shoes, fumbling with it in his hands and avoiding looking directly at her. "I didn't mean that you were lacking. I've seen plenty of humans so trust me as humans go you're one of the better looking ones." He had to swallow a lot of pride to compliment someone else. "I just meant you can't do things like fly or fight with these bodies."
 
Genevieve walked in, leading the way and unable to refrain from smiling a bit at his comment. "Don't worry, you don't have to if you don't want," she chuckled a bit. She was about to get into the fact that there are men that wear heels but that would be another conversation for another day. The thought of him wearing stilettos was amusing in her mind as they walked to the men's section.

There was a large selection, ranging from formal footwear to casual and work shoes. She scanned through a few shoes to offer suggestions, noticing her already picked out a pair of shoes. Genevieve helped make sure that was his size shoe. "Bad? No not at all. Shoe size usually corresponds to height," Genevieve mentioned, nodding in approval at the pair he picked.

"Hm?" she quirked a brow, noticing he seemed fidgety. His words made her smile, it was probably the closest she would get to an apology. "Well, when you put it that way... thanks," Genevieve brushed back a lock of her hair. "Now, being able to fly would be pretty cool," she mused. She walked over to the more formal footwear, "Just incase you'd ever need these." Genevieve grabbed a pair of black, polished shoes.
 
Vinithrax exhaled, glad for the tension to be gone. Or was he just imagining the tension? Wait why did he care?! He didn't, of course...right? "Flight is a magnificent gift. I noticed your flying car on the T.V. before, it makes sense that humans eventually worked their way towards finding some way to fly. Your ambition however foolish it may be, knows now bounds. Still I doubt it compares to feeling the air beneath your wings and the water droplets on your scales as you dive through a cloud or the warmth of the sun high above the clouds where the air is cold and you can just make out the stars." His voice changed as he spoke, almost as if he were in love with the idea.

He was distracted yet again by the shoes though, the shiny pair she handed him were so shiny that he could almost see his face in them. It was delightful really, almost like the surface of a silver plate, polished to perfection. "I suppose these are what your lords and ladies wear to their feasts?" He held up one of the shoes and examined it closer. It had a strange smell to it, causing him to sniff a bit at the air, and then a bit more...then a bit more.

His expression changed and his head whipped to the side, looking down the aisle and back towards the entrance. There stood a short, skinny man, suit and tie, jaw hanging open as he stared and Vinithrax and Genevieve. His expression changing from one of shock to terror as he realized he had been found out and Vinithrax dropped the shoe as if it were a meaningless pebble and started towards him wordlessly. Rather than stick around, the suited man broke into a mad dash away from the store to the nearest anywherebuthere location.

Vinithrax similarly gave chase, nearly running over the sales associate who had waited the recommended amount of time before coming to find his newest patrons and offering his assistance. Vinithrax had to duck and lunge around groups of people walking the mall, intent on keeping an eye on his prey before spotting him dodging down a side tunnel and out an exit of the building into the alleyway behind where nobody happened to be taking out their trash. It was there that Vinithrax finally closed the distance and tackled the man to the dirt ground beneath them, grabbing him by the collar while straddling his chest to keep him pinned.
 
Genevieve nodded, "Yep, airplanes. Revolutionary really, humans can be very persistent when they want something," she mused. She could only imagine what the modern world looked like in Vinithrax's place, how different and revolutionized everything was after coming from a different time period. She was really curious to know what it looked like, but doubted she would ever get to witness such. There was clearly magic in the world... even if she hasn't seen it until now. "Ah, yes," she added, snapping out of her reverie, "for all sorts of occasions, it helps to look nifty, it impresses people, attracts ladies."

She was about to walk with him towards the register until she realized he wasn't following her. "Vini?" she called, noting the strange look on his face as his eyes met another man's. Genevieve glanced between them, wondering if it was someone he recognized. Can't be... she thought, he was only awaken this morning... unless... Her eyes locked on the man that looked as if he saw the ghost of someone he really preferred not seeing. "Uhm... Do you know-" Before she could form a full sentence, Vinithrax was in a sprint, charging after the man. "Vinithrax!" Genevieve called, not realizing she used his full name in public.

"What the hell," she cursed, before she ran after him. Vinithrax had a head start, and while she was fit, trying to maneuver through a mall with people walking around proved to be a bit of a challenge. She kept a grip on her bags, scanning to see where the dragon could've gone after she lost sight of him. "Damnit," Genevieve cursed, smacking a hand to her forehead. There was no sight of him, could they still be somewhere in the mall? Scanning around but all she saw were strangers. "Where the heck did you go?" she mumbled. Straining to listen to... what was she even listening for?

Genevieve refused to remain still, admitting she felt responsible for him.
 
Out in the alleyway Vinithrax was still shaking the man vigorously while spouting things in a foreign tongue with a tone that meant most of the words probably had vulgar counterparts in English.

"Stop! Stop! STOP!" The small man begged, holding up his hands in a motion of surrender.

"WHERE IS MY GOLD!?" Vinithrax finally bellowed in his face, still holding onto him tightly as if he could escape at any moment. Goblins. You could never trust them but you could always smell them. The only reason Vinithrax hadn't sooner was due to the various other scents permeating the air and the way the human body limited his senses.

"I-I don't know. I don't know anything about any gold. I didn't even know there were any dragons left. I swear on my mother's life." He had a boston accent, curly brown hair and only a few wrinkles on his face. No doubt all a disguise, a mixture of magic and material that could easily fool any human.

"Don't you lie to me." Vinithrax pulled him closer and his voice dropped to a low growl as his eyes seemed to glow red. "I know what you are and you know what I am." He inhaled deeply through his nose. "There, I've got your scent. There isn't an ocean you can cross or a rock you can hide under where I won't find you now. My hoard was stolen from me and I want to know by who!"

The Goblin was visibly shaken now, this was most definitely not his day. "L-look I don't know about anybody stupid enough to steal from a dragon. E-Except another dragon but at that point it's not stupid cuz, well, you know." He had to be careful what he said, from what he had heard dragons had a temper and even if they didn't THIS one certainly did. "B-but listen. If you let me go I'll ask around. I got connections, ya know? I'll come find you, you have my word!"

That was useless, so was the swear on his mother's life. A Goblin would sell his own mother and it didn't have to be for that much. Still, Vinithrax could tell he was scared and decided to take a gamble. He let go of his collar and let him fall back on the ground before standing up as the Goblin crawled backwards away from him. "You have two days. You will tell no one that you saw me and if I don't see you in front of me in two days then I will find YOU and when that happens you won't be connected to anything anymore." He stared the Goblin down as he got to his feet and wiped himself off a bit. "Yes yes of course, two days, thank you your terrifyingness."

Vinithrax stomped his foot, indicating he was done with the foul creature. As he scurried away though a thought occurred. "Wait!" He called out and the Goblin stopped and turned, fear still evident on his face as he thought he might not escape after all. "What do you mean you 'didn't know there were any dragons left' ?" Vinithrax wasn't sure he was going to like the answer but now he had to know.

The Goblin turned and seemed just as confused. This was just NOT his day. "Umm, well ya see...a couple hundred years ago you guys just eh, stopped showing up ya know? Poof! There were rumors, eh." He didn't know enough to be explaining this right now, it didn't help that his heart was coming out of his chest right now. "I don't know the details, I'll look into it and have more for you in two days. Promise!" He quickly scampered away while he still had the chance.

Vinithrax stood there for a moment, not sure how to process what the Goblin said or rather what he hadn't said. Staring at the ground he walked back to the door only to discover it wouldn't open so he had to walk back around to the main entrance and try to find his way back to the shoe store and Genevieve.
 
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