Dragon Born

Syjac watched Ashini's actions carefully. This time, he could tell she was doing her childish act, but all of a sudden, her tears became real. It was heartrending. He felt a sudden wave of sympathy for her, and hatred at what was obviously an arranged and unwanted marriage. He bit his tongue though, the mission came before his feminist fury.
"Excuse me?" he tried, but quite a din had began from the surrounding dragons. The village appeared to have gathered around them and were all talking about the impending marriage.
"Excuse me!" he said again in a louder voice, to no avail.
"HEY!!" he roared, using the Ink to cast swirling neon colors around himself. The combination of loud enough volume and light show caused the matriarch to look up at him. Syjac allowed the Ink to settle back to his disguise, perfectly matched to how he'd designed it. It was always perfect.
"Congratulations on passing whatever test they made you do, but I have traveled a long way," he began, slipping into the coarse tones of what he hoped they would think of an Eastern clansmen. "The man you killed walked through our wards like he was immune. I presume he did the same to you. My ladies," this he addressed the Matriarch and Ashini, "I apologize for my brutish behavior, but it has been nearly two moons since he crossed my clan's borders, and he has proven frustratingly elusive. I was... disappointed to caught up with him too late."
Now, I am glad that he is dead," wow that's emo of me "but I request the right of hospitality so that I may learn about him through her." Hopefully that'll get me close enough to pull her out of whatever mess I'm sure I'm responsible for.

Shima watched the foreign dragon with a close eye. Ashini was afraid that she would notice something was wrong about him. Her heart nearly stopped when Shima pulled away from her and took steps toward him.
"My apologies. I am Shima, matriarch of this clan. I will of course show you hospitality after your long trek and disappointing ending. Please follow me, we have some freshly hunted deer and rabbit. I'm sure not all of it is cooked yet. We can figure out where you will bed later tonight." Shima made her way further into the village.
Ashini continued to sit on the ground where she had landed. Her breathing had grown choppy and her vision was blurring with more tears. She was scared for her future. She thought she had a couple more years before she would be forced to wed. She thought she had more time.
Well you don't. Stop being pathetic. If I am doomed to wed that monster then at the very least I can drop the act little by little and finally act like myself. With this thought Ashini wiped the tears from her eyes and stood up. Cadence patted her back and said congratulations. Ashini bobbed her head in a nod and walked up to Syjac. She latched onto his arm and smiled brightly.
"You never said your name. I'm gonna call you Tori. I have always liked that name. You can stay with me, I'll make sure you don't get lost. It happens to me a lot." She giggled and pulled Syjac towards the matriarch's cottage.

"I'm so sorry about all this, I didn't mean to bring all this down on you," Syjac whispered out of the corner of his mouth. They walked in silence then, and he could almost feel the misery radiating off her. How terrible was her husband-to-be that she was so heartbroken by this?
The village was bigger than he expected, and as they turned through streets and side-streets, Syjac noticed that word-of-mouth traveled much faster than they did. The other dragons all whispered among themselves of the impending wedding, and many looked curiously at him during breaks in conversation. He supposed he did make a novel sight, muscular and shirtless, with the vibrant tattoos decorating his arms and chest. They served the purpose of distracted from the scales, which might not hold up to too-close inspection.
Then again, it might just be that I'm a stranger to these parts, he thought. Given their isolation, it seemed improbable that these dragon clans visited each other much. Save for whoever Ashini was betrothed to. They must have fairly frequent contact with those people.
They eventually came upon a long dining hall, where Ashini steered him towards one end, where... Shima? sat waiting, already cutting into a steaming piece of meat. They sat, and with an internal wince of despair, Syjac smiled widely and began wolfing down his cold haunch of venison

Ashini sat next to Syjac in the dining hall. She picked up a hunk of venison and scorched it with her powers. Because she hunted with her powers she enjoyed the taste of charred meat. But as she ate, each bite went down harder than the last. Her emotions were running wild. But after 183 years of acting, she could keep up her facade. She hummed as she ate and swung her feet. She received a glare from her mother and she ducked her head down as a show of submission.
As she ate she watched Syjac from her peripheral vision. He was woofing down hunks of meat, but Ashini could see that he was not liking it. I'll have to ask him about that later. Ashini then saw that her mother was staring intently at Syjac. She looked almost skeptical. Ashini was worried that she had seen through his disguise. If she did, Ashini would be banished from the clan for letting an outsider into their village.
"So what is your name, traveler?" Shima asked Syjac in a diplomatic tone.
Before Syjac could finish the bite in his mouth Ashini spoke for him, "I call him Tori. Doesn't he look like a Tori?"
"Ashini be quiet!" Shima ordered in a booming voice. Ashini shrunk back and bowed her head. She couldn't fight her mother, "Now, I would like details on what happened in the woods."

Syjac swallowed hard, glad for a respite. What he wouldn't do for a salad right now... "I am named Null, but I could use a nickname, and Tori suits me," he responded with a smile. He was going to be pleasant with Ash if it killed one of them. "As for the woods, I had been marching, following his trail. It went through your village, and that is where I hesitated to follow. If the man was somehow an agent of yours, then well... unpleasantries would follow between our peoples, as you surely know. Fortunately, that is not the case, as I saw when I heard the lightning. I ran, but by the time I arrived, she'd already done the deed. Quite... efficiently. What was not burning will probably feed the wolves tonight."
"I picked up some things from his pack," he continued, pulling out the pistol and a Guardian-issue tablet computer from his own effects. "The rest was already burnt. Do you know what they are?"
He pushed the "mysterious objects" at Shima, then continued, "After that, well, you were present, save for the five minute walk back. Ashini can fill you in with the rest, your Grace. Or... apologies, I'm unfamiliar with the proper honorifics."

Ashini watched as Shima actually smiled. She never smiles at me.
"Well my apologies, Null. You don't have to entertain my daughter's eccentricities, by the way. But I am sorry that you came all this way and have no answers. Now," Shima looked at the gun and tablet, "this is a gun. But I have no idea what this is. And you may call me Shima or Matriarch."
"Ashini, what else happened?" Shima looked harshly at her daughter, daring her to act childish.
"Well I brought him to the woods and I asked him some questions. I asked him what his name was, where he was from, if he liked cats, and if i was annoying. He said Syrion, a village down the mountain, not really and not really." Shima laughed at that.
"So you finally found someone that would lie to you." Shima looked to Syjac then, "I am sorry but it seems that is all the information we have."
"Now, Ashini how did you take care of the him?" Shima asked.
"I shot him down with lightning. It was an easy kill. He didn't know what hit him."
"Well maybe that means you can complete the hunt." Shima then went back to her food.
Ashini paled at the mention of the hunt. It was an ancient tradition that only Kade's people still practiced. On the night of the wedding the couple would each hunt a human. They would kill them and then eat them. After that the couple would consummate their marriage in front of the clan. Her mother had agreed to this one time hunt as a compromise to Kade's parents. Ashini was most afraid of this tradition. It is said that once a dragon tastes human flesh that everything else pales in comparison. I'm going to be made into a monster.

"Hm, that's unfortunate," lied Syjac about the lack of information on himself, "I would like to stay however. Either this man was an immune wanderer or he was part of something bigger. Considering the rate at which he traveled and eluded me, I fear the latter. Given time, his friends might come to investigate his last location. By your leave, I would remain here for a while if that event were to pass Matriarch." And to see what I can do about that wedding, he added silently. He eyed the clear tablet. A few swipes here and there to activate it, a hand scan, a quick message, and his friends would come to investigate. He would control the entire valley, much less be able to stop a simple wedding. Best to do this according to plan though. He still didn't have the full picture. Yet.
"I am curious though," he changed the subject, "Your daughter controls lightning. She struck the man down with ease, as she probably would any assailant. What 'hunt' could possibly give her pause? Does it have to do with the marriage I have heard spoken of?" He hoped this would get her talking about the people Ashini so obviously feared to marry into.

Ashini's head snapped up to look at Syjac. He was asking too many questions, questions that would ultimately anger her mother. She tried to shake her head and tell him to stop but it was too late.
"Excuse me, but you are overstepping your boundaries! You are implying that my people could not last in a fight. We don't need help. It isn't as if you are trained anymore than my people are. And my daughter is of no concern to you. The marriage and the details that go along with it concern only my daughter, my clan, and her future husband. You have no say in such matters, and no right to question them. You insult me with your brashness. I will permit you to stay one night and one night alone." Shima stood in a flurry of her robes and strode from the room. Her word was final.
Ashini looked to Syjac and glared at him, "Are you stupid? You don't question a matriarch. You could have just asked me later!" Ashini angrily hissed at Syjac, "Now I have no idea if I can convince her you need to stay with me. And I'm gonna have to sneak you around for the next couple of days! My life is going to shit." Ashini sat down in a heap on her chair. Why me?
She pulled her knees up and rested her chin on them. She felt her heart fall further into depression. There were too many problems and not enough solutions.

Shit, that could've gone better, winced Syjac, I really need to work on political negotiating.
"Sorry," he whispered back, "My brand of scouting is usually woo them with honesty and go from there. Despite my new looks, subterfuge isn't really my strong suit."
He noticed her despair and immediately empathized. "Hey, I don't know what's going on, and I really want to help, but I can see that I'm doing more damage than good right now. Tell your mother that I apologized profusely to you for my arrogance, and begged forgiveness on her behalf through her daughter. And as a token of the shame that I have brought upon myself and my tribe, I will deny myself her most generous offer and sleep in the forest tonight. Hopefully that might soothe over my mistake."
He stood then, and faced the other dragons in the dining hall. He made the koi fish tattoos grow somber, dull browns and grays replacing the bright rainbows from before. "I have overstepped my bounds as guest among you, and no longer deserve your hospitality. If your Matriarch deems to forgive me and permits me to return, then I shall gladly accept her generosity. Ashini will know where to find me."
He side whispered to her, "If it's good news, I'll be at the clearing where you 'killed' me. Otherwise, try to make some noise to let me know if they're sending a hunting party or something. And of course, we have too much to talk about for me to actually exile myself, so I'll find you tonight ok? Don't worry. I'll make things right."
And with that, he walked out of the dining hall, apparently in shame.

Ashini watched Syjac's back retreating from the hall. All dragons had eyes on her and she felt uncomfortable.
"Just go ahead and eat. I'll go talk to Matriarch." She giggled and sprung up from her chair. She skipped out after her mother. All of the dragons returned to their meal with the shrugging of shoulders and hums of indifference.
Ashini ran quickly to catch her mother. She had to sniff the air a couple of times to catch her trail but once she did she moved at an amazing speed. Her mother was headed toward the common grounds. If she was headed there, she was upset. The common grounds housed the clans meeting halls, food stands, and most importantly their dead. In the center of it all stood a mausoleum. It was several feet underground and stood two stories tall. It was crafted from the finest marble and was a beautiful contrast to the cottages that surrounded it.
Ashini slowly opened the door to the tomb. Each time she entered she felt a chill run up her spin. She could smell ash and bones as she looked at the urns that lined the shelves. She knew her mother would be on the second floor with the more recently passed. Ashini grew wings and glided upwards. They had opted to forgo stairs when they added the next floor. The dragons enjoyed stretching their wings once and a while now that flying was forbidden. She landed lightly on her feet and hid her wings away again. She took slow, careful steps toward the figure at the end of the hall. The shadows of the room made her look older and weaker. She was nearly 1000 years old and it was starting to show.
Ashini laid a hand on her mother's shoulder and waited for her to say something. They remained in silence for several seconds.
Finally, "What do you want?"
"He begged for forgiveness. His tribe is more direct than we are. He didn't mean you any disrespect Mother." Ashini watched as her mother brushed her hands over the name on the plaque before them. Her father's name.
"He should know better than to question a marriage. The only reasons he would do such a thing would be to challenge my decision as your mother or he wants to challenge Kade for you." Shima then turned to look at her daughter.
"Neither of those are accurate. He would never question you as a mother. You have done nothing against me. And he would never challenge for me. He is gay."
Her mother reeled back in shock, "What?"
"He didn't tell me outright but I can tell. I guess I am smarter than I look." Ashini gave a sad smile.
"Ashini you are a very smart girl," Shima grabbed her daughter's face in her hands, "You are just immature. But I will fix you. I promise. Kade will have a proper bride on his wedding day."
Ashini felt her heart break with each word and struggled to keep the tears from her eyes. She knew that her mother thought her a disappointment, but to hear it from her own lips hurt.
Ashini put on a fake smile and said, "Tori is going to sleep in the woods tonight to atone for his brashness. I would like very much to invite him back. I don't think that he finds me all that annoying, so I would like to befriend him. It might make a good contact between the Eastern tribe and our clan."
"Yes, I suppose you are right. But I would like to confirm his sexual orientation before I allow him back. I cannot have you endangering your contract."
"Of course Mother. I will go retrieve him!" She bowed her head and kissed her father's plaque before touching down to the ground. She quickly opened the door and took off into the woods to find Syjac.

Syjac quickly lost his tail. It wasn't that they were actually tracking him, god knows he couldn't fool their scent, but the somewhat curious onlookers had gotten bored and went back home the third time he'd dropped out of sight. It was all psychology. Good thing too, or else he would've led them straight to the battleground. Where they would've noticed an awkward lack of burnt corpse.
Before he arrived in the clearing, he took the time to spread Ink on a few trees, forming them into eyes to look back. They weren't fully functional, but if he focused he'd be able to see blurrily through them. They were really terrible as far as spying equipment went, given their conspicuous colors, but they were better than nothing.
Albeit not by much.
He settled down against a tree to wait. He'd come back to the village in a few hours, when all had gone to sleep so that he could talk to Ashini unnoticed. His political blunder had cost him dearly, but he'd work around it. In the meantime, he thought as he pulled out another gizmo from his pack, Bureaucracy rears its ugly head.
The smaller unit was handheld and served only to bounce messages through the realities. The risk of enemies intercepting a transmission and tracing it back to a field agent, or worse, back to Hub led the Guardians to have to construct overly-complicated safeguards. The message, once typed, traveled only a single dimension before being re-inscribed onto a separate signal and sent to another. This happened a minimum of 17 times. Syjac had to go through twice that many checkpoints to arrive on location incarnate. Such was the safety of war.
I've made contact with the karmic disturbance. Appears to be a clan of dragons. Yes motherf*cker you read right. Appears peaceful, will continue to monitor for signs of malevolence until time is right for Revelatory Protocol #youknowidon'tknow. Am in no danger, but have detected a forced marriage and overstepped. Repeat, no danger, but this is personal. And yes, a full field report will be sent when something that actually fits the boxes happens. Toodles, Syjac
He tapped his fingers on his cheek, making little colorful stars pop up as he though. Proper protocol was dull, and anyways, he was scouting for peace, not war. Big difference.
P.S. Remind Val that Nemo has a chewtoy, and if he tries to "get him" a better one, I'll give him a neodymium tramp stamp
He hoped his pet was in good care, it was hard to find a sitter willing to learn how to take care of a land octopus. Val was over-enthusiastic, but Nemo would probably be ok. The technologist secretly had the most level shoulders of anyone he'd met.
As he sent the message, Syjac sensed the approach of his Ink. When the flail had dug into Ashini's thigh, it had left stains of its passing, like all his weaponry. He could feel it returning. He closed his eyes, and opened those he'd left on the trees. He smiled as he caught the glimpse of a wing. Well damn, she's a better negotiator than I'll ever be.

Ashini darted and dodged through the trees. Her wings carried her faster than her feet, but she had to fly low to avoid the consequences of flying. She would be scolded terribly and could very well receive severe punishment.
Ashini was quite excited that she had been able to get her mother's approval to bring Syjac back into the village. It didn't happen often that her mother actually listened to her. Ashini was doing her best to focus on the positive of the conversation and not the soul crushing revelation that had come with it.
Ashini neared the clearing and attempted to touch down softly. Unfortunately, she lost her footing and unceremoniously tumbled into the clearing. She somersaulted and ended up sprawled out on her back.
"Whoops!" she giggled and sat up, "So I got Matriarch to let you back in. And as long as you are gay like you said she will be fine with you staying with me. She was a bit afraid that you were trying to challenge for me. But if you are gay then there is no threat. I also told her I would befriend you as to have a contact with the Eastern tribe."

"Um," was all Syjac had to say to that. This was the first ti- ok the third time his homosexuality had worked in his favor. On a mission. Man, life is weird, he mused considering past exploits. "That's great, but I don't really see how I can prove that I'm gay other than not seducing you. Which will be hard, granted, but neccesary," he teased. Hopefully she'd be satisfied with words and a sincere political apology. "And friendship would be welcome, but we'll have to stay away from 'with benefits' unless I want to actually sleep in the woods." He winked at her to show he was joking.
He stuffed the pad into a hidden pocket in his pack but remained sitting. "Before we head back though, let's have a chat, hm?" The Ink shifted, removing his disguise and showing him as the not-dragon she knew he was. Talking to someone not part of clan structure or dragon politics might relax her a little, which would be beneficial to honest conversation. At the very least it would make her lower her main defense, the disguise of vapid immaturity. "Tell me about the wedding Ash. I don't know about here, but where I come from, forced marriages aren't exactly cool with our mission statement."

He dropped his disguise and sincerely asked me about the marriage. Ashini was actually stunned. No one ever asked her opinion about the marriage, they just assumed that she was content with the match. Ashini had to stop herself from saying something incredibly stupid. She knew that he had dropped his disguise so that she would in turn drop her own.
Ashini took a deep breath and decided the best place to start was the beginning, "I am warning you now that this is a long story, and there is no guarantee that I will be able to complete it. It is very emotional, and very sad." She looked to Syjac and saw that he was attentive, inviting her to continue.
"Okay. Well most of my people are fire breathers. To have a gift, like my own, of controlling another element is very rare. We are called Specials by our people. When I was first born, it was quite apparent that I was a Special. I singed my mother quite a few times. As a Special and as the current matriarch's daughter, it only made sense that I was to succeed her. But to be a matriarch one must first wed. My parents wanted to ensure that I married another Special whose powers complimented my own, and that I married a natural born leader.
It just so happens that the village of dragons at the base of the mountain had just welcomed a new member. Their prince. It was a miracle, or so my mother says, that he was a Special and that his power is thunder. Technically, he controls sound waves but we refer to that as a thunder dragon. My mother was so happy, a lightning and a thunder dragon born around the same time. Of course everyone assumed we were meant to be. That we were brought together by the deity herself. They are more than wrong.
My parents entered negotiations with the king and queen immediately, they ignored their politics, their blatant disregard for fire breathers, and their obvious disdain of peace. So at just 4 weeks old I was already betrothed," At this point tears of hate had filled her eyes and were beginning to spill down her cheeks, "Kade and his parents are heathens! Barbarians! They are cruel, not only to their people but the surrounding villages. Kade's parents steal away Special children to be servants in their home. They make them be Kade's play things. And he tortures them, he does despicable things. Things that I have seen, that I will never be able to forget. And the worst part is their stance on traditions. As dragons, we used to hunt humans. Most tribes now only hunt animals. We have accepted the fact that humans and dragons can coexist. We now say that humans and dragons are equal in life. But Kade and his family think in the old ways.
On the eve of special occasions, one can hear the screams of humans in the woods. Kade and his parents kidnap unsuspecting humans from neighboring human towns and hunt them for sport. It is vile and primeval. And I will be expected to hunt on my wedding night. After the bonding ceremony, Kade and I will enter the woods and hunt down and man and woman. Once we find them we kill them, eat them, and call for the others of his clan. Once they arrive we consummate the marriage with their presence as witnesses to our union. It makes me sick just thinking about it.
That is why I tried so hard to avoid it. I acted irresponsible and immature so that my mother would not turn over the clan to me. Yes, every morning I wake and hate myself for acting so vapid and stupid. My heart broke and my soul died a little each day for 183 years, but that was better than the alternative. It is better than waking up to a monster each morning, knowing that I will never escape. Kade is possessive and petty. He will treat me more like a toy in his collection rather than a wife. My mother is blind. She thinks that my presence will soothe his soul and he will become a better man. She still deludes herself by thinking that Kade will ever let me lead my people. He will tuck me under his wing and never let me go. I wouldn't be surprised if my wedding present from his was a collar and leash.
But despite all of my efforts and all of my heartache, I am still stuck. I cannot break the contract. The penalty would be death by his hand and I would leave my people without a successor for matriarch. The only loophole is that he can be challenged by another of noble birth. But there is no one that would. He is strong and brutish, and I am not worth anyone's trouble. I will forever be stuck in a burning hell and there is no escape for me."
At this point Ashini was sobbing. She hated her fiance and she hated her life. She had gone through so much pain and heartbreak and there was only more in her future. Sometimes I wish I could just leave this place. Forever.

Syjac was horrified. And furious. Normally, when it came to terrible Old World customs, it was protocol to just grin and bear it, and to add it to the list of things to remedy once culture-changers came to make the world better. But this struck a nerve.
"Ash, that's... that's horrific," he finally said, once he'd quelled his rage enough to speak coherently. "This is an atrocious... blasphemy of sense."
Ashini paused in her sobbing long enough to look up at him in surprise. Poor thing, he thought, This is probably the first time anybody's validated her feelings. Syjac leaned forward and leveled his eyes at her. "Listen Ash. Listen very carefully. Everything about this... the marriage, the other clan, Kade, his family, his traditions... it's all bullshit. It's all dangerous, horrifying, evil bullshit." He gradually escalated his voice until he was practically shouting.
He suddenly stood, and put his hand on her shoulder. "Ash, this shouldn't have been done to you. Never in a million years. You got engaged when you were fucking born. That's.. I can't. And Kade? Him and his are marked for extinction, you mark my words. This is what I was sent here to find Ash."
"This is what I was sent here to fix."
He paced, restless in his new rage, like he always was when something like this popped up. He'd done a lot of vigilante work on college campuses over the years. He believed in staying busy on leave, and if that meant finding an abusive boyfriend and exploding his car as a warning, or waging a war on a local gang, then fine. His particular brand of feminism wasn't peaceful. "The Guardians won't stand for this Ash, I promise you. We can't. Killing for sport is right up there with sexual assault on the list of things we execute for. Adding the forced marriage, adding whatever fuck else they're probably doing to their own people, adding that I hate him, and you're never going to marry him. Ever."
He turned his gaze back to her, and his eyes were black with Ink and anger. "I'll break your contract myself if I have to Ash. I'm not in any way of Noble fucking Birth, but I'm a Knight of the Guardians, and I doubt his head will argue semantics. I swear on my Shard, I. Will. Stop. This."

Ashini watched in awe as Syjac turned furious on her behalf. No one had ever taken her side on this matter. The people of her clan had only ever shown support for the union. Everyone thought that the Matriarch was correct in her assumptions. They all assumed that Ashini could tame the savage beast and make his village a peaceful one.
Ashini's tears stopped and she decided in that moment that things could change. He could help me. He could actually save me. Ashini quickly wrapped Syjac in a bone-crushing hug. She didn't know how to thank him. She couldn't even think of the words that could express her feelings. She just held on tight to Syjac's midsection.
After a couple of minutes Ashini stepped back and found her voice, "Thank you Syrion. No one has ever been on my side." She smiled brightly at Syjac.
Ashini looked up at the sky and saw the sun was beginning to slip behind the horizon. The sky was painted in beautiful pink and orange hues. Ashini found herself mesmerized by the sight. She took a deep breath and calmed her frayed nerves. She turned back to Syjac and smiled a genuine smile.
"We should head back. we have a curfew in my village and its fast approaching." Ashini started on her way and then paused and turned back, "Oh and I am curious. You mentioned something about the 'Guardians'? You'll have to excuse my naivety, but that doesn't sound familiar to me. Also, a Shard? Can you explain that to me?"

Shit. You moron, be more careful when you rant.
"Oh, I'm not supposed to say much about that, protocol says I'm supposed to wait, but..." he glanced at her, the girl whom he'd sworn a Shard oath to help. Fuck it, she's one of the good guys for sure.
"You know what? You deserve the truth. I'm helping you, and therefore, we're on the same side. It's allowed. You remember that organization I said I worked for? Well, we're a lot bigger than what I implied. Here."
He started walking sideways, with his back to her. "I dunno how much physics you guys know about, but there's this thing called the multiverse. Basically, you have this one world," an Earth drew itself in his back, "and the space all around it." and then stars and blackness surrounded it. "That's one universe. Now, who says that Earth HAS to have dragon clans? No one. From the cosmic sense, it's equally likely that dragon clans aren't a thing. And so," the picture shrank, and another universe drawing popped up above it, "we have Universe B, which has cyborgs clans instead. Now, that's a generalization, but the fact of the matter is, there are universes without count," his back became covered in tiny planets surrounded by tiny blackness, "and none of them are the same. And in every single one of them, there is the capacity for evil." Half the universes turned red.
He turned on his heel and walked normally next to her, back tattoos fading away. "The Guardians? We do our damnedest to protect against evil. We go into universes and try to make the tiny changes we know are all that is necessary to make the world a better place. Often, it's just forcing a piece of legislation through the various world governments, or ousting a particularly virulent dictator. The world takes that as example, and joins our union of happy universes sworn to the betterment of all. Other times..." his eyes darkened slightly, "you need to take out some trash before other people can smell the roses. I get rid of Kade, every other dragon clan that hears about the demise of such an awful piece of shit will be inspired to rise up against abusive rulers. And so the world is made ready to join the Guardians."
He bit his lip, wondering whether to spill out the rest, then decided to go for it. "We have enemies too Ash. The Darkened. They spread evil and discord in the multiverse and try to make them crumble before we can save them. We have been at war a long time." For literal eternity as a matter of fact, but who's counting? "Anyway, long story short, I'm here to see what problems need fixing so my people can introduce this world to the wonderful delights of multidimensional benefaction. Kade's first on my list. As for my Shard, well, that's just a fancy blade that all Guardians have. I don't keep it on me because it's kinda big and noticeable, but I'll show it to you soon."
He regretted not telling her the full truth, but at the same time, knew that it was not time. Not yet. Maybe not ever. There were plenty of planets that didn't know the true horrors of the Long War, and why they were actually so interested in social justice.
Ashini had enough problems without adding existential horror to it.

Ashini was dumbfounded. She was standing before something otherworldly. She never could have imagined that something like this could happen to her. She thought her greatest adventure may be gazing upon a human in her life time, but here she was with...a Guardian.
Ashini was still pretty confused, but Syjac's diagrams were quite helpful. It was also by happy coincidence that Ashini often times read Sci-Fi novels in the mornings. She had often seen this theory explored, but now she was apparently living it.
"Oh my Goddess." Ashini stared wide-eyed at Syjac. She slowly sank to the ground in shock, "Oh my Goddess! You're saying that the multiverse theory is legitimate? That there are universes that parallel our own?" Ashini held her head in her hands and tried to process.  
Just think Ash. It makes sense...sort of. I mean this man can manipulate tattoos and there is no one else like that in this world. Ashini peeked up at Syjac and looked at him pensively. There was a possibility that this was all a lie. He could be faking the entire thing. Then again he was so earnest in his rage. She stood and looked him straight in the eye and saw only honesty.
"I believe you. Although, it seems impossible. But to some I guess dragons would seem impossible too." Ashini grabbed his and started dragging him behind her, "Come on, we really need to get back now."

Syjac allowed himself to be pulled along with her, scrambling to shift the Ink back into his dragon disguise. He memorized anything he put on his skin though, so it only took an instant. They ran through the woods and back into the village, slowing down to a walk once they got on road.
"Ash, I can't do anything now, because I don't want to offend your mother, or give her more reason to distrust me. So I'm going to have to act like I approve of the marriage, and all that bullshit. Just remember: I really really don't." He winked. "Our secret for now, alright? And keep calling my Tori or Null, but my real name is Syjac. It's my Guardian name. Remember that."
And with that, the first dragons caught sight of them, and he had to return to the abashed Eastern tribesman he pretended to be. When brought to the matriarch, he fell to his knees and begged her forgiveness, which she eventually granted. It was really the most pitiful display, and all the while that Syrion called out his apologies, Syjac seethed in anger at the woman who'd damned Ashini so thoroughly.

Ashini couldn't believe that the man before her had yet another name. It might actually take some effort to keep them all straight. She found that she quite liked what appeared to be his actual name. She also liked the idea that she was the only one that knew it. No one had ever trusted her with something so severe. No one had ever deemed her worthy enough.
After Syjac had begged her mother for forgiveness on his knees and she granted him to stay, she escorted him through the town and back to her cottage. She opened the door and stepped inside her humble abode. She looked around and realized the place was quite cluttered. Her books were strewn about the room, many of them opened to their bookmarked place. She was a bit uncertain about his reaction to her living quarters. She had never let anyone in. She was too afraid that they would reveal her secret stash of literature. The only benefit of traveling to Kade's village. They have access to human literature.
"So this is my place. I'm sorry about the clutter. I never have visitors and I tend to read a lot. As you can see, I see no need to put them on a shelf." Ashini began to pick up her books as she went further into her house, "So let me give you the tour. This is the living room, and just over there is the dinning area," The area was quite small and the rooms were not separated. She then walked down a short hallway and pointed through a door, "This is my room and the bathroom is through that doorway. And that is about it."
Ashini looked at Syjac a bit hesitantly, waiting for his reaction to her very small home.

Syjac smiled. "It's cozy, I like it." He stepped over the piles of books and peered appreciatively at some of them. "Kinda reminds me of my place, but with books instead of easels. Speaking of, if you want me to brighten up the place, just say the word."
He dropped his pack on the floor while she deliberated and pulled out the smaller tablet. "I need to inform my people about these new developments ok? I don't know what they'll decide to do or send, or if they'll think that I can handle it solo, but I'd like you to provide a statement after, if that's alright with you. It'll be quick."
He hurriedly filled out a standard field report, detailing as best he could the counts of ritualistic killing, hunting and killing of sentients, forced marriage, contracted marriage from birth, kidnapping, slavery, and miscellaneous other counts of universal rights abuses. narrating as he did so. He then turned the pad towards Ashini. "Ok, it's on video. Just attest to the crimes I've reported, and we'll have the evidence I need for a Supported War Effort. Go when you're ready."

Ashini was quite happy that Syjac wasn't displeased with her house. He even compared it to his own. That put her mind at ease, she had felt rather insecure. Syjac then pulled out an odd piece of technology. Ashini had never seen anything like it. She watched in rapt curiosity as he tapped and toyed with the foreign devise.
What the hell is that? Ashini decided she would just have ask when he was done making report. She just continued to stare and wait. He then narrated what it was that he was writing. He was making report about the marriage, the hunting, the kidnapping, all of it. He then turned to Ashini and asked her to confirm her report. Ashini was a bit confused but proceeded anyways.
"Uh okay? I am Ashini Luce and I attest to the fact that my fiance, Kade Kronin, participates in human hunting, ritual killings, and barbaric slaughters. I am his fiance by contract that was signed when I was only 4 weeks old. The king and queen, Kade's parents, kidnap Specials and force them to work as servants in their home," Ashini then looked up to Syjac, "Is that all I have to say?"

"Yep, perfect," responded Syjac, "Transmit report, mark as urgent." The tablet made a little whooshing noise as the message tumbled through dimensions. "Alright then, now I wait for confirmation, and then we make a plan for Kade's clan. Until then..."
Syjac suddenly realized he had nothing to do in the meantime. Missions rarely had downtime of any sort, but the other village would not have another human hunt for a while, so he was forced by protocol to wait for confirmation before taking the fight to them. He said as much, before furrowing his brows. "I mean, I dunno, unless you have any suggestions? I remember you said your people hunt? Should we-"
*Beepbeepbeepbeep* "What the hell?" Syjac's snapped his head back to the tablet. "That's impossible."
Ashini asked if that was his friends responding and he shook his head, flicking it back on. "No way, I just sent that message, and the previous one wouldn't have merited a response. It can take hours for a report to travel this far through the dimensions, which is why operatives are left to their own devices most of the time. They would have sent this, I don't know, probably around the same time I got here. What on earth could they have-" He froze as he read the message. He wordlessly passed the tablet to Ashini when he was done reading.
Attention Field Agent. The Seers reported a change in the balance in your area shortly after you arrived. NK suddenly spiked, indicative of Class 4 at the least. It appears to be non-invasive, but we cannot assume that it will not begin to ripple. Treat any new acts of interest with prejudice. We don't know who or what caused this, but the field has changed for the worse, and you need to prepare yourself. Backup will be enroute, but that universe has hardened itself, and we need to find an alternate route. Good luck.
Ashini looked at him in confusion. Syjac stroked his chin in uncharacteristic nervousness. "Basically, the game has changed. I came here to investigate some weird auric readings, and a little black. If more black has suddenly turned up, it means it's something we didn't expect. Something new. And it's definitely evil. A bad decision with the potential for chaos, an act of violence that may inspire more, somebody unfit for power coming into it, I don't know. But I have to stop it before it influences anything else, and Ripple Effects into the world."
He stood up decisively. "I would bet anything that it has to do with the Kronins. But a Seer's report isn't enough to go to war on, and I need to meet them. First though, I need to prep some equipment. If there's new Evil, then the superfluous measures might be needed. Which means I need to pay visit to a cave system in the forest, I can't do everything from the tablet. Any ideas on how to get out without arousing suspicion?"

Ashini felt fear creep into her being. What was causing this disturbance? Nothing drastic had happened within her community other than Syjac's arrival. Was something happening with a neighboring clan? Ashini felt her breathing quicken and her pulse speed. Her people might be in trouble and she felt her power start to surge to the surface. She felt the strong urge to protect. Ashini had to close her eyes and focus before the power returned to its resting place.
"Okay so shit is going down. Awesome. Alright we can leave under the guise of going for an evening hunt. I do it all the time, so no one will think anything of it. After that I can fly us up the mountain a bit where I know a cave is located."
Ashini then moved to the bedroom because she had to change her outfit. Sadly, she always wore a specific outfit when she hunted and if she didn't wear it the guards would suspect something. She got on her knees to dig in the back of her closet. There, she found the flat cardboard box that housed her outfit. She turned and placed it on her bed. After a deep breath she removed the lid and saw the black material of her outfit. Ashini could sense Syjac behind her so she moved to close the door.
"Just give me a second to change. And don't laugh when I come out either." Ashini moved back to the box. She pulled the body suit from its depths and cringed. She hated that she had bought this thing, but it had been to keep up her image. Her mother had yelled at her for wearing bright colors while hunting, so Ashini had bought the body-clinging body suit to act naive. Her mother had been disapproving of her daughter's apparent stupidity but liked it better than the crazy colors that lived within her closet. After that day Ashini had worn the monstrosity to hunt in.
Ashini let her ruined tutu slip to the ground. She then examined the gash in her thigh from Syjac's flail. She was missing a couple of scales, but the skin underneath had already healed. She decided she would just wipe the dried blood away later. She then removed her shirt and then her socks. After she was only in her underwear she forced her body into the suit. She felt suffocated by the material and it showed things that she didn't want to show. With a shrug if the shoulders she returned to her closet and stood on tiptoes to look up on the shelf. When she spotted what she was looking for she snatched it up quick. The finishing touch to her hunting outfit was a pair of black cat ears.
I hate being me. Ashini begrudgingly placed the headband over her white hair and then opened the door. She walked past Syjac and to the door. She hoped he wouldn't ask. As she reached for the door handle she heard his intake of breath to speak. Ashini whipped around and held up her hand.
"Don't. Just don't. I will explain later but let's get out of the village first." Ashini then stepped through her door and began skipping toward the edge of town with a grin spread across her face.

Poor thing, he thought privately to himself, This must be yet another facet of her idiot disguise to prevent the marriage. She's nothing if not thorough. They walked through the village, Ashini making the necessary waves and girlish exclamations to indicate that she was bringing her new friend for a hunt. They made it to the forest line with minimal int eruptions. Which is when the problems started.
"Are you sure we have to fly?" he asked, dreading the answer. "I mean, based off what you told me, it's the right cave, but do we really have to?"
She explained that they needed to be quick, or else people would get suspicious if a simple hunt took too long (they were a race of dragons after all). Syjac sighed, then clambered into Ashini's arms. She was much stronger than she looked, and lifted him with ease.
It's just like a ornithopter, she was a very stable flyer, this is just like a ornithopter but organic OHGODNO IT'S NOT MON DIEU JE VAIS MOURIR
Ashini dropped altitude and nearly dropped him as he threw tentacles around to better rope himself to her. After some quick maneuvering, and frantic slapping to get him to reign in a couple of the tentacles, Ashini managed stable flight. When they finally landed at the cave, she nearly crash landed and had to wait for Syjac to un-ice himself and unwrap the tendrils. After some pacing and heavy breathing, Syjac led her into the cave.