Tale As Old As Time

[Its Smiley]

Mayah Playah

Despite Phoebe's appearance, the girl and the blonde guy still fought Spike, who viciously complied.
"Sorry, he came at us out of nowhere," said the black-haired man with the hoodie. He left his group to approach the redhead, a smile on his face that could have come off as smug. "We're not here for trouble. Honest. Actually, we came here to pick up someone." He lowered his hand until it was about two feet from the ground. "About this high? A kid? He's supposed to be around here, by what we've heard."
"Don't listen to him!" snarled Spike over his shoulder, struggling to block all of Katana's attacks. "They're more powerful than they look! They don't smell like him, either! They smell like blo-" He grunted as the butt of the katana slammed against his jaw, forcing him quiet. He spat out blood then snarled at the boy, resuming his onslaught of attacks.
"We're strong, but you've got to consider who we're with," shrugged Hoodie. His smile suddenly widened. "But he just said it, the kiddo's here, right? Mind bringing him out here? We'll leave immediately after. Promise." He even put a hand over his heart to emphasize.

 

[Mayah Playah]

☯ φɦѳɛʙɛ ɖɛɪяɗяɛ ☯
♬ : . : ✎ : . : ✐ : . : ♬

I'm still good at hide-and-seek.


His Theme

I promise you, I'll answer your plea
I swear it's true
Just trust in me

The gentle redhead's eyes flashed something unusual as Spike was struck, clearly not only unamused, but angry. "You barge onto my property uninvited, you threaten and harm my dear guest and friend, and now you ask of me to bring you a child under my protection? This conversation is over. Get off of my property, or I'll have you removed." He crossed his arms, no-nonsense glare on his handsome face. "I'll give you one minute to vacate."

My love for you will always live on
Like a song
A simple melody

Awesome nerd

 

[Its Smiley]

Mayah Playah

Hoodie's smile stayed, but his eyes darkened. "Come on, don't be like that. I already told you, you're friend was the one who charged at us. All we wanted to do was pick up our little buddy!" Despite the tense atmosphere, he advanced a step. "Now listen, I don't want to hurt you," he said in a low tone so only Phoebe could hear him. "but if you try threatening us and refuse to bring that child, then I'm afraid we'll be forced to take action." He smiled warmly, but the air grew dense. It looked like powerful steam was lifting from the teens' bodies, their faces were silhouetted except for their glowing eyes. It was a promise of power, and it weighed heavier than a threat.

 

[Mayah Playah]

☯ φɦѳɛʙɛ ɖɛɪяɗяɛ ☯
♬ : . : ✎ : . : ✐ : . : ♬

I'm still good at hide-and-seek.


His Theme

I promise you, I'll answer your plea
I swear it's true
Just trust in me

He paused, glancing over to Spike. Could he just hand over the kid and be done with it? No. No he couldn't. That child was his guest, and he wasn't about to piss off War because of some snot-nosed kids. Clenching his fists, he stood tall, not an ounce of fear in his blue eyes. "You want him? You'll have to go through me." Of course, he wasn't much of a fighter anymore, but hopefully this would get the maids enough time to smuggle the kid out.

My love for you will always live on
Like a song
A simple melody

Awesome nerd

 

[Its Smiley]

Mayah Playah

The man's smiled widened. "Wrong answer," he grinned. He pulled his hand out of his jacket's sleeve, revealing a hand blade that glowed with a blue energy. With a crazed glint in his eye, he lunged the blade at Phoebe, right between his eyes...
... only for it to be caught. The boy hesitated. His blade didn't land? He couldn't even move his arm! He tried to pull it back, only for it to not budge. That's when he noticed it. There was a hand grabbing his wrist. He followed it up to see a taller man standing a few inches behind Phoebe, his eyes changing color from brown to metallic silver.
"Don't touch him," Dragon said in a low tone. He was different from his usual innocent self. His expression was serious, and so was his voice. It was as if he was as old as he looked now.
Whatever the case, Hoodie was intimidated. How did that guy get here? Was he always here? How was he able to see the knife move that quickly, let alone catch it? Why were his eyes changing color?

 

[Mayah Playah]

☯ φɦѳɛʙɛ ɖɛɪяɗяɛ ☯
♬ : . : ✎ : . : ✐ : . : ♬

I'm still good at hide-and-seek.


His Theme

I promise you, I'll answer your plea
I swear it's true
Just trust in me

Phoebe couldn't stop himself from flinching, eyes closing as he struggled to remember how the afterlife worked. Fortunately, it seemed that wouldn't be necessary. He opened his eyes after no knife pierced him, gaze falling on Dragon. His feet moved, stepping forward as if to intervene. "Dragon, no," he tried to protest. "It's too dangerous. I don't want you to get hurt." He cares very little about the group of kids now, ignoring them blatantly.

My love for you will always live on
Like a song
A simple melody

Awesome nerd

 

[Its Smiley]

Mayah Playah

Gonna have Oliver show up soon?

"I won't let them hurt you or anyone else," Dragon said firmly and tossed the arm holding the dagger back to its owner. He took a step forward so that he stood in front of Phoebe, towering over the teen, his eyes turning purple as the sclera's darkened like with his demon side. "Leave," he demanded.
Hoodie hesitated, but his smile was quick to return. "Wow, I didn't know you had guards," he said while craning his head over Dragon to smile at Phoebe. "He's tough all right, but if you can remember right-" He took a step backward and held his arms up to emphasize the group all watching them.
"-you're outnumbered."
Hoodie launched himself at Dragon, so did the tallest of the group. Dragon didn't waste any time. He had spent time honing his powers, and he wasn't going to toss them aside now.
He dodged the onslaught of slashes, using whatever free time he had to send his own attacks towards him. The two dodged each other quickly, but to an observer it looked like they were moving at blinding speed. Soon the taller man jumped in, but instead of having his own weapon his fists glowed with a red energy. He swung and punched viciously at Dragon, but his speed was slower and the Wendigo had little trouble dodging. However, at one moment Hoodie managed to distract him long enough for Tall's fist to land, sending a powerful punch to his arm. Dragon winced and jumped back for a second to grab his arm and assess the pain. It hurt. A lot. Still - He moved it and flexed his fingers - it wasn't broken. The tall one was slower, but definitely stronger. As he flexed his fingers again, Dragon observed what element his aura turned into. A purple gas. It was poison. He'd have to use it for as long as it'd last. Looking back at the duo, he launched himself towards them and began going on the offense, sending punches and kicks to them without rest, and with the purple gas covering his arms and legs.
Hoodie and Tall weren't expecting the new move, but the continued dodging. However, the longer they stayed close to Dragon the more they found themselves inhaling the purple smog emanating off him. Within seconds they found it hard to breath, and a dull, throbbing pain at his chest. It forced them to slow down, and Dragon used it to his advantage to attack them.

 

[Mayah Playah]

☯ φɦѳɛʙɛ ɖɛɪяɗяɛ ☯
♬ : . : ✎ : . : ✐ : . : ♬

I'm still good at hide-and-seek.


His Theme

I promise you, I'll answer your plea
I swear it's true
Just trust in me

Phoebe stared at the fighting Wendigo, unable to pull his eyes away before remembering that Spike was injured. He rushed over to him, immediately examining him. "You shouldn't have fought them alone," he scolded, albeit gently. His hands cupped Spike's cheeks, a soft smile on his face. "If you got hurt, I don't know what I'd do with myself. Come on, we have to get you inside."
Just then, he heard the door creak open. A little head peeked out, staring at the group. Seeing Dragon fighting, Oliver's eyes grew wide. "No one hurts my Dragon!" he grunted, trying to march out and save Dragon, despite the Wendigo's clear advantage. Phoebe saw the child, trying to get to him faster.
"No! Get back inside!"

My love for you will always live on
Like a song
A simple melody

Awesome nerd

 

[Its Smiley]

Mayah Playah

Spike was covered in gashes and bleeding all over, but he wasn't as nearly as badly hurt like when Dragon went overkill on him. When Phoebe went to him, he painfully lifted a hand to grip the angel's sleeve. "Get... Get away from here...!" he hissed.
"Too late for that," smirked Katana from a few feet away from him, sword resting on his shoulder. He lifted his gaze to the girl, who nodded in compliance and lifted her hands back to her chest. A faint, blue bubble formed around the four.
"You're not really smart, are you?" Katana snickered. "But hey, makes my job a whole lot easier. Thanks to Carrie's ability here-" He moved his katana and tapped the bubble with it, it made a tapping sound similar to glass. "-none of you will be able to get out and help your friend." He looked over his shoulder to the demon just in time to see a child running towards the fight.
Hoodie, Tall, and Dragon caught it too.
"That's-" Tall started, but Hoodie was already chasing after the kid, using Dragon's surprise to his advantage.
"Quickly!" he yelled at the group.
Dragon hesitated as he saw Hoodie run off, then Tall followed, then a blonde girl, then a man with a ponytail. Even Katana was freed from the bubble so he could join the group. Cursing under his breath, Dragon reached out and grabbed Katana's leg just as he was passing by, slamming him back to the ground. He stomped on the man's back and propelled himself towards the girl and Ponytail, slamming against the girl and quickly catching her in time to use her as a bat to hit Ponytail. As the two fell, he ran to Hoodie, who noticed the commotion over his shoulder and turned around quick enough to slam his dagger against Dragon's flaming arm.
"Ain't gonna work with me," Hoodie smirked. Dragon pursed his lips. The two jumped into a flurry of attacks, but soon the demon realized that if he stayed locked in this fight he wouldn't be able to get to Oliver in time. He tried to get away, but each time Hoodie hurried in front of him to block him again. Dragon grit his teeth, then noticed the other three rushing past his shoulder, and Tall was within reach of Oliver.
Frustration built inside him, even more so when he saw the ugly smirk on Hoodie's face. He couldn't get to Oliver, and that group would tear down anyone else that got in his way! He needed more strength! He needed more-
The rage inside him bubbled in his stomach, but it suddenly got stronger. It rushed through him, in his veins and in his blood. He growled at the sensation, like he was growing, like his teeth were forcing themselves out! Hoodie hesitated at the surge of power he was feeling. It was stronger than the ones that lead him and and his group to this mansion. And it felt... it felt unstable.
Whatever the case, Dragon still held some consciousness. He took advantage of Hoodie's intrigue and rushed past him, far from his range by the time he realized what had happened. Dragon pushed past the others, choosing not to fight them so he could reach the boy faster. He was changing as he ran. Black flames clung to his body, burning away the muscles and bones, leaving a trail of flaming footsteps. His rage pushed him forward, his determination kept him focused. He was almost there...!
The group saw him dash past him, and one-by-one each of them turned their attention to him, trying to push him or attack him in any way. But it was too late. Dragon was the first to reach Oliver, grabbing him and lifting him up so that he was against his chest. He looked over his flaming shoulder, seeing the entire group narrow in on him. Gritting his teeth he crouched down quickly, using his entire body to shield Oliver.
"Whatever happens," he grunted as more flames began to engulf him. However, if Oliver touched them they would have appeared cool - comfortable, even. "Don't leave!" Finally, the fire swallowed up his entire figure. The group charging at him stopped suddenly, frozen in interest and confusion. Was this some defense attack? Some twisted double suicide? Their answer was given to them as they watched the flaming body grow and grow. Then, suddenly, it dispersed. To their horror, that man wasn't underneath the fire anymore, not even some buffed version of him. It was a large, skeletal beast. There were some exposed muscles that clung to bone, but it appeared rotten. Its torso, if it wasn't showing bone, was clad in a coarse furr, and beneath that was what horrified the group the most.
Bodies. Countless bodies. They ranged from half decomposed people to sliced up chunks of animals. And all of them were alive. They moaned weakly and moved around inside their new body, stretching out and looking as though they were beckoning the kids over. Even from her position far away and still locking the two up in the bubble, Carrie could see the horror of the new beast.
The main body, however, did not move. It made no indication that it noticed them, it didn't even appear to be breathing (not that it needed to). It stayed in its crouched position to shield Oliver, though its larger size gave the boy some room beneath it.

 

[Mayah Playah]

☯ φɦѳɛʙɛ ɖɛɪяɗяɛ ☯
♬ : . : ✎ : . : ✐ : . : ♬

I'm still good at hide-and-seek.


His Theme

I promise you, I'll answer your plea
I swear it's true
Just trust in me

Phoebe shook his head fiercely. "No, I won't leave you here!" he insisted, trying to help the man. He gasped at the bubble, one hand reaching out in an attempt to get out. No. No wait! He started to beat at the bubble, trying to get out to protect Oliver and Dragon. "Oliver!" he cried, staring helplessly at the two.
Meanwhile, the child was moving as fast as he could to get to Dragon. "No! No!" he kept saying, barely comprehending that he was the target. He ducked under a low-hanging branch, only to be stopped by the rapidly approaching teens. Now seeming to understand that he was in danger, he didn't have time to react before Dragon scooped him up. The flames engulfed them, but he wasn't afraid. Shielded by his brother's body, he reached and touched him, holding tightly. "Dragon!"
The new body didn't scare him even a little. He knew what was beneath the frightening display was his beloved brother, and he wasn't scared. Dragon would protect him.

My love for you will always live on
Like a song
A simple melody

Awesome nerd

 

[Its Smiley]

Mayah Playah

At first everything was quiet. Dragon didn't move, didn't even react. The bodies in his torso seemed to notice Oliver, but they didn't reach for him or groan at him. They all focused on the group of teens watching them with both horror and intrigue. Hoodie was the first to break the spell of silence.
"I can't believe it!" he laughed as a smile stretched across his face. He whooped and clapped his hands together, gaining his friends' attention and spinning around to look at them. "I thought we were only dealin' with a demon here! But look at that! That's a Wendigo! We haven't seen a demon take that form before! Do you know what this means?" Despite the stunned silence, he stayed happy and looked at the skeletal beast. "It means that's the first of its kind! A rare beast! And here I thought we'd get big bucks for bringing them the son of a Rider! To think we'd get a demon-Wendigo hybrid!"
He pulled out his dagger and hurried towards the beast. He paused one foot away, craning his head around to see any sign of the beast attacking. It didn't move. Taking it as the green light, Hoodie smiled cheerfully and swung his arm forward. Suddenly, something caught his eye, and he jumped away back to his group. Something crashed into the ground just where he had been standing. When he relaxed, he noticed that it was the Wendigo's tail, one made completely of ribcages. Hoodie felt himself shake lightly, but stopped it and smirked. "Feisty, I like that," he snickered. He motioned to the group. "Come on. He won't be able to handle all of us if we keep attacking, especially with our skills. And even if he dies we've still got that kid to give us a good fortune." That said, he turned back to Dragon and rushed back for another attack.
It was slash, dodge the tail, slash again, repeat. It stayed like this for a while, with the group standing in confusion. Should they really test that monster? Was it probably weaker than it looked? Katana smirked, sharing the joy his friend had. "No use standing here, 'suppose!" he cackled and rushed in to join Hoodie, attacking Dragon with his sword. The tail could only handle one, and though it was fast, the two were more than capable of landing hits. That encouraged the rest of the group, and slowly, one by one, they all charged to join in the attack.
Before he knew it, Dragon was being attacked from all sides. Sword slashes, powerful punches, everything. The creatures in his torso did well to slow people down, clinging to them and clawing at them, but soon enough even those were being dodged by the fighters. The Wendigo's body shuddered with each hit, shaking like a building on the verge of collapsing. But he couldn't collapse, not with Oliver needing protection.
Dragon cursed in his mind. If he wasn't stuck in this position then he might've had a better chance. Better, but not as good as he needed. He was slow, and they were all fast. He needed more power, but how?

 

[Mayah Playah]

☯ φɦѳɛʙɛ ɖɛɪяɗяɛ ☯
♬ : . : ✎ : . : ✐ : . : ♬

I'm still good at hide-and-seek.


His Theme

I promise you, I'll answer your plea
I swear it's true
Just trust in me

Phoebe watched in horror, as opposed to the child, who stared in wonder. He trusted his big brother to protect him, even when the hits kept coming. He looked up, large eyes watching closely. Being the son of the Rider of War, he could sense when a warrior's stamina was weakening. Of course, being so young, he didn't really understand, but he still could tell that not everything was alright.
He reached for Dragon's leg, setting his hands gently on it. "Everything will be okay," he said, carefully petting Dragon's leg. "Trust Dragon." He smiled softly.

My love for you will always live on
Like a song
A simple melody

Awesome nerd

 

[Its Smiley]

Mayah Playah

The attacks kept coming, some gaining power and some gaining speed. Dragon's regeneration couldn't save him as fast, and he wasn't sure how his body would handle it all once he was human again. The large body shuddered again as another wave of attacks hit him at the same time. Cracks started appearing on his large skull, fragments of bone falling off to reveal the dark void beneath. His Wendigo body wasn't going to hold, but he couldn't give up! He needed to protect Oliver and Phoebe, and everyone else! He needed power! He needed strength!
"You're much stronger than you think, Dragon," a mysterious voice said in Dragon's mind. Before he could question it, it spoke again.
"You've only used one side of yourself at a time. If you let me help you, then I'll show you just how strong you can be."
Dragon stayed silent for a moment. Who was this? How did they know about him? What did they mean by "only used on side"? Could they really unlock the powers he needed to save everyone? Part of him, a gut feeling, told him not to trust the mysterious voice, but - The cracks climbed more of his skull, more fragments falling - he didn't have a choice.
Okay, he thought to himself, wondering if the voice would even hear.
Suddenly, he felt a powerful, tingling sensation inside his gut (or bones). It felt... It felt hot; overwhelming. It was stronger than when he had unleashed his Wendigo side. He could feel potential, he could feel energy surging through his limbs.

WHACK!!
Katana slammed his sword against the skull's jaw, finally managed to get it to break off. He smirked in satisfaction and took a moment to catch his breath, resting the weapon on his shoulder. This was way too easy. The guy looked scary, but all he did was sit there and take all the hits! Was he an idiot?
Katana scratched his chin. Wonder what was underneath that skull, though. Taking a step forward, he leaned in and tried to gaze into the darkness. He inched closer and closer.
Suddenly, a blast of black flames shot out and hit the teen in the face. He screeched in shock and fell to his rear, scurrying backwards while trying to pat away the flames. Hot, hot, hot! It burned!! It bu- Huh?
Katana paused then touched the fire curiously. It didn't burn. In fact, it was cool. What was this? Just some cheap scare tactic? Snorting to himself, he got to his feet and dusted off the flames before looking back at the monster. However, there were more black flames, and they were covering the entire Wendigo's body. It was just like before, only instead of getting bigger it got smaller and thinner.
The group kept their distance, though none of them showed any worry or fear like last time. Whatever that guy would turn into wouldn't pose a threat.
The flames dispersed, and instead of a large skeletal beast there stood a man. It looked to be Dragon, but his skin was darker and... exposed. A fur pelt covered his ankles, wrists, and waist; skulls rested on his shoulders like shoulder pads; skeletal hands covered his hands like gloves, extending further with sharp claws; his rib cage tail remained, swaying slowly and carefully; a long, black tribal tattoo covered the entire left side of his torso and stretched down to his abdomen. But it was his face that garnered the most attention. It was hidden behind a mask, a skull mask. The skull looked just like the Wendigo's skull, only small enough for a human to wear.

Dragon stayed still for a moment. Two bright lights shined in the eye sockets, revealing themselves to be two gleaming, silver eyes. His demon eyes.
He cracked his neck twice, getting used to the new form. Then, very delicately, he reached down and plucked Oliver off the ground, lifting him up to sit him on one of his shoulders. That was all Dragon did. He kept his gaze on the group, watching them intently to see if anyone would make the first move. The only other movement from his breathing was the dreamy swish of his poison spiked tail.

Hoodie pursed his lips as he saw the new form. This guy was just full of surprises, wasn't he? What was this, anyway? This power... It had that demonic surge to it, but also carried the weight of the Wendigo form. He had assumed the skeletal beast was the form that fused both sides, but was it possible that this was it?

 

[Mayah Playah]

☯ φɦѳɛʙɛ ɖɛɪяɗяɛ ☯
♬ : . : ✎ : . : ✐ : . : ♬

I'm still good at hide-and-seek.


His Theme

I promise you, I'll answer your plea
I swear it's true
Just trust in me

The transformation wasn't particularly noticed by Oliver, other than the leg that he was petting. When it suddenly became humanlike, he looked up at the different Dragon. When he was lifted, he smiled and kicked his feet a little. "Whee!" he giggled, wrapping an arm around his brother once seated on his shoulder and seeing the world up high. He spied Phoebe, waving carelessly as a child does.
The redhead stared in response, shocked into silence.

My love for you will always live on
Like a song
A simple melody

Awesome nerd

 

[Its Smiley]

Mayah Playah

Everyone stayed quiet, watching each other, stuck in a standstill as they waited for someone to make the first move and assess their new enemy's skill. Katana was the first to move. He turned his head to spit then smirked at the creature that posed no threat to him.
"There's no reason to be scared of that thing," he assured the group, moving his sword to point it at the monster that stared at him with bemusement. "All it's gonna do is dodge our moves so it can keep protecting the kid. It's not gonna risk attacking us as long as that boy's around. Still, he won't be able to take on all of us." He crouched down, preparing to launch himself into a flurry of attacks. Dragon silently watched. Katana smirked again, then shot forward.
At least, he meant to.
Right when he started straightening up something slammed against him in a blur. By the time the group registered what happened, Katana was up in the air with the scorpion tail of ribcages impaling him in the stomach. He gagged blood, not fully aware of what had happened himself. How did he get up here? His body instinctively clung to the bones that were stabbing him, meekly trying to pull them away. They didn't move, and the pain was beginning to surge through his body. After a few tugs proved to be futile, Katana tilted his head back and wailed in agony. Shortly after, the tail swung upwards then swiftly flung the man off. Katana hit the ground hard, causing a cloud of dust and debris to lift up. The group had to shield their eyes; by the time the air cleared up they looked to see their friend dead, his face frozen in surprise and pain.
The confidence that had filled the air quickly turned to horror. Their friend, who had been so strong, who had easily fended off Spike alone, had died in a second. Slowly, each of them turned their heads to look at the creature. Was it just luck? Was it just using their shock to its advantage?
The blonde girl clenched her fists, tears prickling her furious eyes. "Y-You...!" she sniffled. A light blue aura flared around her, slowly taking the physical form of a row of spears all aimed at the beast. "I'LL NEVER FORGIVE YOU!!" she cried at the top of her lungs as the spears shot forward as fast as they could.
"Jessica, no-!" Hoodie tried to warn, but it was too late. He turned his head in horror to see Dragon nowhere in sight. The spears hit the ground before returning to Jessica. She clenched her fists and started to reform another row, but before even one could solidify Dragon appeared right in front of her. She hesitated, taking a step back as the skull-faced creature loomed over her, silver eyes gazing at her emptily. He grabbed her face with his free hand (the other holding Oliver so he wouldn't fall off), the boney claws that extended from his fingers dug into the back of her skull, scratching at the bone. She let out a scream, then he slammed her down on the ground with enough force to crush her head.
"Jessica!!" screamed the man with a ponytail and the tallest man. They both shook. Her head was crushed so easily, like a balloon popping. Ponytail wanted to vomit. Just what was this thing?!
He flinched when he saw something move, soon recognizing it as the tallest man charging to Dragon, red fists ready to attack. Ponytail quickly steeled himself. His friend couldn't do this alone. His own aura flared and solidified into a bow and arrow. He pulled the string tight, steadied his nerves, and aimed at the beast.
Or at least, where it was.
Dragon was gone again. Ponytail and Tall looked around frantically for where it had gone, knowing only when another scream came. They turned to see Dragon standing in front of Carrie. Despite the safety of the bubble she was in, Carrie couldn't help but quake in fear. This creature had, after all, killed two of her friends in no time.
Dragon did nothing except stand and watch. Then, its tail lifted into the air, arching like a scorpion's tail, and stabbed the bubble. It shattered instantly. Carrie screamed again. Dragon grabbed her and lifted her until her feet were dangling. She flailed and cried, begging it to let her go, but all it did was move her to the side just in time for three arrows to pierce her body. She gasped shortly, blood quickly filling her throat, which an arrow protruded from.
Ponytail shakily lowered his bow. It... It used Carrie as a shield against his arrows! H-How did that creature know he was aiming at it?!
With the girl no longer flailing, Dragon dropped her. It then grabbed Oliver and gingerly set him down beside Phoebe. The beast did nothing. It showed no warmth or kindness, it said nothing, it didn't even look at the redhead. It was as if it was running purely on instinct.