Getting the band back togeather

((All events scribe here take place on the AIM IMbox.))

Toshio, with a smirk, replied, "You gave me a false name. Rayne looked surprised for a moment when you said it, and I can tell a lie when I hear one."

Aust looked at the new guy again. "Well that's what you'll call me whether or not it's my real name. Got it?"

With a smirk, Toshio saluted him, "yessir"

Aust punched him in the arm he was saluting with, just hard enough to bruse without breaking any bones
before turning back to Rayne. "Let's keep going. It's only another 6 hours 'til the meeting point, right?"

Flinching slightly, Toshio glared at him. "What's you're problem?"

"You are." He said over his shoulder before walking back to the cart.

Toshio, frowning slightly, muttered, "Well, get over it, yeah? Ri-, Rayne here, obviously trusts me."

Aust stoped for a second. "Ri?" he turned to Rayne. "Didn't you once mention something about a puzzle?" Hoping Rayne would give him the 'ok' to draw.

Totally missing the hint, she blinked. "Hm? A puzzle?"

Aust sighed. "about a kingdom.... or another WORD for a puzzle?" said as he put his hand on his sword hilt.

He turned towards her brother. "You get what I'm saying, right?"

Riddel, biting her lip, watched him for a moment, and then it dawned on her. "Oh! Right!" then she stopped and looked to Toshio, a bit dissapointed. "Oh...."

"That's what I thought." Aust said drawing his sword and turning towards the new guy.

Toshio crused slightly under his breath. "I've never been good at lying, unfortunately." He took a slight step back. "But what does it prove? Yes, Obviously, I know she's actually Riddel. But what does that prove? That I can remember a face?"

"That's not the point." Aust said moving closer to him. "The point is that you know something you shouldn't know and it's going to end with you through my sword."

Gasping, Riddel put her hand out, "Don't kill him! I mean, he might...." but Koan was shaking his head, and Riddel fell silent. Toshio though, seemed not the slightest bit worried. "I'm a wind mage, and I think you'll find it's going to be harder to kill me then you think..."

Koan gave him a glare and rolled his eyes, taking Riddel by the hand and bringing her on the boat. Killian looked over to him. "Look, that's not the way to talk to Koan. If you earn his trust he'll tell you anything. but if you just demand things... it'll end badly."

"I thought I'd earned his trust after the second time I protected Rayne and him from a hoard of undead that were sent after them. If I haven't earned his trust, then I'll ask him politely once we're on board. Also, just so you know, I personally have nothing against you, I just can't stand it when men treating women badly, even if it's only by calling them a degrading name." Aust said extending his hand to Killian.

"Huh," Killian said, looking at aust's hand a moment, then shook it. "Me and riddel...well, there' sruff there you don't know." he sighed, then boarded the ship.

"Ready Fel?" Aust asked as he turned to get on the boat.

"Yes, I am," she said, grabbing his hand and leading him on, smiling

"ok," she said quietly, nodding.

"I'll be back shortly." Aust said before he left the cabin and closed the door behind him. It took a while, but he found where Koan was. "Koan, I'd like to talk with you, if you hae a moment please."

"She's a killer," Koan said emotionlessly.

"And so am I if you think about all the monsters I've killed in the past. You'll have to elaborate." he said running his left hand through his hair.

"She's a killer of people, she'd kill without hesitation, ask her."

"I've killed people without hesitation as well and each one was swinging a weapon at me." Aust said stretching his arms.

"shes' killed in cold blood"

Aust brought his arms back down. "I've killed in cold blood as well when my enemies have become defensless but are too dangerous to let live."

Riddel stared at him, with wide eyes, looking scared.

"Every person I've killed has been the mastermind behind some plot to destroy or enslave the word. I had no choice Rayne. It was kill them or let them live to hurt more people who didn't deserve to be hurt. In my line of work I've had to make tough desisions that you'll probably never have to make. I don't deny it but I don't take joy in it either." Aust said looking straight into Rayne's eyes.

"Well, the ones this girl has killed," koan said, putting his hand on Riddel's shoulder, "Have done nothing wrong. She's a killer . One of those bad people.


"I doubt that." Aust said as he stood up and walked out of the room with sorrow in his voice.

Koan gave him a hard glare, and Riddel hugged him slightly, and he returned it, sghing. Fel was standing outside he door, watching Aust quietly. "I...I should go....shouldn't I...."

"Let's go back to the cabin. I'd like to talk." Aust said looking Fel straight in the eyes.

"Ok," she said, looking innocently up at him

Aust made his was back to their cabin and sat down on the bed, waiting for Fel to come in so they could talk.

She followed behind him closely, and sat down at his feet, and rested her chin cutely on his knees. "what do you wish to speak of, sir Aust?"

"Please, don't call me that. Don't call me 'sir'. Please, sit down in the chair, it's hard for me to talk looking down at people." Aust said rubbing the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forfinger.

She nodded and went to the chair, sighing. "i am sorry"

"Felosial, I want to know the truth. Did you really kill people? For no reason other than they were there for you to kill? I need to know." Aust said crossing his legs.

Fel looked at him and shook her head. "No." she said firmly, looking a little upset.

"Koan says you've killed people for no reason, and that you should be killed. I can't believe that and I don't want to. My father taught me something when I was young. He said 'Son, you'll meet al sorts of people out there, all of whom have different appearances and personalities. Before you ever trust someone, stare into their eyes for a while. The eyes are a getway to a person's sould and can reveal things about them could take years to figure out.' I've gazed into the eyes of killers Fel. There eyes are cold, dark, and have a feeling of evil about them. When I looked into yours, I saw the same thing I saw in Rayne, Koan's sister. Innocense, purity, and and a bit of naievety about the world." Aust said as he slumped forward a bit.

Fel looked at him quietly, and hung her head. "I have killed before... that is true...." she sighed, and looked up at him. "Maybe I should be murdered..."

"Why? Why did you kill Fel? I can't except you killed for no reason." Aust said looking a bit surprised.

"Because..." she looked down at the floor, looking like she was trying to gather her thoughts, then she looked up at him with her big grey eye. "Because Aust, they wanted to hurt me. Not just kill me, they wanted to torture me."

Aust thought for a minute. "You did say that you are the first of your kind. so that would mean that they wanted to see what you could do and would go as far as torture to get the results they wanted, and it would only be natural for a caged beast to kill it's captors once it became free, not that I'm calling you an animal Fel." Aust said as he stood up and walked over to Fel. He picked her up under her arms and brought her close to him before hugging her. "I'm glad you're not a killer."

she blushed, and seemed unsure of herself. "I..." she put her arms around him tightly, and nudged her head in the spot where his neck met his shoulder. "I..." she kissed his neck slightly, then froze, oviously waiting for a repreimand.

Aust set her down and smiled before sitting back down on the bed. "I'm glad that this was all a missunderstanding. I mean what happened to you is really no different then what happened to my uncle Xisnjrnarthlos. Of course, he destroyed the village that had captured him just because all he did was help himself to the ocasional steer or two since it's the least he deserved since he protected the village from the neighboring white dragon with out the village knowing about it." Aust said with a smile.

Fel listened and nodded, then said, a little shyly, "Um... aust... can I... ask you something?" she looked up at him with big eyes, and smiled.

"Sure thing Fel. you can ask me anything." aust said taking a deep breath and releasing it.

"I...I like you Aust..." she began, shrugging slightly so the shoulder of her dress slipped down to her midarm.

Aust started to blush a bit. "Uh... I like you too Fel. Now, what did you want to ask me?" he said trying to change topics.

She kept her eyes on him, and shrugged out of the other side of her chest, and it slipped down to her waist, leaving her chest bare. "I wanted to ask you..." she took a step closer to him, and whispered in a seductive way, "If I could give myself to you?"

Aust started to blush harder and checked to make shure the door was closed. It was. "May I ask why you want to give yourself to me? I mean, we just met the this morning, and I understand that you like me, but don't people normally wait for, these types of activities?" aust said trying not to stare at her decently sized mellons.

"What d you mean you don't know?"

"I'm a half dragon Fel. My father was an elf and my mother was a Silver Dragon. Because I'm a half dragon, there's a chance that I might polymorph into a full dragon for a short while before turning back into what I am now. If that happens, I'll be too large, the ship will be torn apart and everyone and everything will be thrown into the icy waters of the sea. It also means that if I change while we're...doing it... I might expand beyond the size your body can handle and kill you as I change into my dragon form." Aust said dead serious.

"So...can you...never then...?"

"No, it's not that I can't, it's just that I have to be careful where and when." Aust said looking away from fel. "Besides, I'm a virgin and I'm not sure if my first time will be my partner's last." aust said mumbling a bit.

"oh..." she said a little depressed. "That is fine." she pulled her dress up and smiled. "I am going to go get you something to eat, alright?"

Aust grabbed Fel by the arms and pulled her close to him. 'Please, don't get me wrong Fel, I'd gladly do it with you, just I don't went to risk it here on the boat." Aust said blushing a bit.

"I...I understand..." Fel said, pushing away from him. "It's ok!" She turned and opened the door, and koan was standing there, waiting. He stabbed her through the chest with a sword before anyone could react, moving at at least three times his normal speed. Bright silver blood splatted aust in the face.

Aust lept from the bed towards Koan, letting out a primal dragonic roar of furry, punching Koan in the face sending him flying back and through the wall behind him. Aust then ran to his pack and started fishing out a healing potion.